29 December, 1890

remember...

Carry me back to Wounded Knee

   slung across a Sorrel galloping

Cries of Children call me

   through the rapid fire

   piercing my soul

Stench of powder, reeling death

   Ghost dancer fleeing

   with no place to hide

Onward, faster, carry me    

   I must join the innocent

   where the hoop is still sacred

   and life is happy

   life is free

jrj 1982

Author's Note

The 7th Cavalry got their revenge, on a small band of Lakota Women, Children, and Elders, in the deep cold, all those years ago.

Photo: the frozen corpse of Chief Big Foot, who had raised a white flag before the shooting started.

Reviews

[Jaweena...Eileen Quinta..]

Sitting Bull was killed on Dec 15 1890 with eight of his supporters when US military tried to arrest him because they were afraid of the "Ghost Dance", it didn't matter that he had complied to all that was demanded of him. There had been no uprising nor warfare. The tribes had been coerced into signing away valuable lands for which they had received nothing! Spotted Elk aka Big Foot and his band of women, children and men were afraid od reprisals of this incident so were making their way back to their land, under the watchful eye of the calvary.
General Miles sent a telegram from Rapid City to Washington on Dec 19 1890
"The difficult Indian problem cannot be solved permanently at this end of the line. It requires the the fulfillment of Congress of the treaty obligations that the Indians were entreated and coerced into signing. They signed away valuable portions of their reservation, and it is now occupied by white people, for which they received nothing.
They understood that ample provision would be made for their support; instead, their supplies have been reduced, much of the time they have been living on half and two thirds rations. Their crops, for two years have been almost total failures.
The dissatisfaction is wide spread, especially among the Sioux, while the Cheyennes have been on the verge of starvation, and were forced to commit depredations to sustain life. These facts are beyond question, and the evidence is positive and sustained by thousands of witnesses."
Records of Wounded Knee casuality often mentions 150 dead- but we know many more were killed, as many as 300 may have died.
Only 112 years ago that this took place. We are still feeling the after-effects.
Many choose not to acknowledge this tragic history......

[Ed Hart]

people think history can disappear, but it lives in every step we take

[Kenneth The Poet]

Wow. Brilliant stuff, John.

There is a ride every year that kids from the school I teach at take to Wounded Knee from Standing Rock Reservation. It occurs during this time of year.