Proposed Protection for Wounded Knee Massacre Site (S. 2088)
January 1, 2023
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
The Frame
The bill would legally codify a 2022 agreement by the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes to permanently protect 40 acres of the Wounded Knee Massacre site from commercial use.
Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.
Oglala Sioux Tribe
The tribe is a co-owner of the land and would be subject to the federal restrictions imposed by the bill.
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
The tribe is a co-owner of the land and would be subject to the federal restrictions imposed by the bill.
Last recorded activity January 1, 2023.
Next step not available in the current record.
Summary
Key Facts
- S. 2088 proposes placing 40 acres of land at the Wounded Knee Massacre site into restricted fee status.
- The land is currently owned in fee by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
- The tribes purchased the 40-acre site from a private owner in September 2022.
- A 2022 covenant signed by the tribes restricts the land to use as a memorial and sacred site.
- The covenant explicitly prohibits commercial development and Indian gaming on the property.
- The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
- The site is historically significant as the location where hundreds of unarmed Lakota people were killed by the U.S. Army.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'restricted fee status' mean for this land?
Who owns the land currently?
Will this bill allow for new buildings or businesses on the site?
Why It Matters
The bill would legally codify a 2022 agreement by the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes to permanently protect 40 acres of the Wounded Knee Massacre site from commercial use.
News Coverage
Lobbying Activity
POLITICO GROUP
on behalf of WYETH-AYERST LABORATORIES A DIVISION OF AMERICAN HOME PRODUCTS
POLITICO GROUP
on behalf of CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE OF PLUMBING HEATING & PIPING INDUSTRY
GOVERNMENTAL ADVOCATES INC.
on behalf of CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION
POLITICO GROUP
on behalf of WESTERN WALL & CEILING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Federal Enforcement of Tribal Covenants
The bill represents a mechanism where the federal government uses 'restricted fee status' to provide legal teeth to a private tribal land-use covenant.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools