Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act
Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act would direct the Secretary of the Interior to complete actions so about 40 acres at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, are held in restricted fee status by the Oglala Sioux Tribe (OST) and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST), within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Under restricted fee status, the land would remain tribal-owned, fall under tribal civil/criminal jurisdiction, not be transferrable without Congress and Tribal consent, not be taxable by state/local governments, and be used in a manner consistent with a 2022 inter-tribal Covenant between OST and CRST. The land use would be governed by that Covenant, and the act would bar gaming on the site per the Covenant and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Secretary would complete the necessary actions within 365 days after enactment and preserve existing encumbrances and rights (e.g., easements, utilities) on the land. In short, the bill seeks to protect and preserve a sacred memorial site tied to the Wounded Knee Massacre by placing the land under tribal control with strong protections against sale, external review, taxation, or gaming, while honoring the Covenant between OST and CRST.
Key Points
- 1Defines and establishes “restricted fee status” for the approximately 40-acre Wounded Knee site, keeping ownership with the Tribes, within the Pine Ridge Reservation, and under their civil/criminal jurisdiction.
- 2Requires the Secretary of the Interior to complete all actions within 365 days of enactment, including finalizing survey/description adjustments and assigning any relevant utility rights or agreements.
- 3Land use is limited to purposes allowed by the October 21, 2022 Covenant Between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe; existing encumbrances, easements, or rights-of-way in effect at enactment remain in place.
- 4Prohibits gaming on the land pursuant to the Covenant and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; land usage is guided by tribal authority rather than federal gaming authorization.
- 5Specifies that, even with restricted fee status, the land remains subject to federal Indian country protections and definitional constraints (e.g., 18 U.S.C. 1151; 25 U.S.C. 177), and that transfer requires Congress and Tribal consent.