Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act

House Votes

This bill protects about 40 acres at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, as a memorial and sacred site for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The Department of the Interior must finish all steps to place the land into “restricted fee” status, which means the tribes own it but federal rules limit selling, transferring, or putting liens on it. The land must be kept as a memorial and sacred place, with no commercial development or gaming allowed. Existing utility or access agreements on the land stay in place, and federal laws for tribal lands still apply.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; community members who visit or care for the Wounded Knee site.
• What changes: About 40 acres at Wounded Knee are placed in restricted fee status, used only as a memorial and sacred site; no gaming or commercial development; existing utility and access rights remain.
• When: Interior must complete all actions within 1 year of the law taking effect.