Gladys Bissonette facts for kids
Gladys Bissonette was a brave Oglala Lakota elder. People called her "the brave-hearted woman of Wounded Knee." She was an important leader during a difficult time on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the 1970s.
In 1972, Dick Wilson became the Tribal Chairman. His time in charge caused many problems on the reservation. Wilson gave important jobs to his friends and family. He also created a special group called the "Goon Squad" to control the area. This group often scared people who spoke out against Wilson, especially those who were full-blooded Lakota. Many people tried to remove Wilson from his position, but he always managed to stay in power. Gladys Bissonette said that past leaders had been unfair with money, but Wilson was much worse.
Standing Up at Calico Hall
On February 27, 1973, many traditional leaders and others from Pine Ridge gathered at Calico Hall. They wanted to talk about the problems caused by Wilson's leadership. Two leaders from the American Indian Movement (AIM), Russell Means and Dennis Banks, were invited. They came to listen and see how they could help.
Many people spoke at the meeting. Ellen Moves Camp and Gladys Bissonette were two of the most powerful speakers. Gladys spoke for twenty minutes. She asked AIM to come to Pine Ridge and help them fight for fairness. She said, "for many years we have not fought any kind of war, we have not fought any kind of battle, and we have forgotten how to fight." After Gladys and Ellen spoke, Chief Frank Fools Crow suggested that the group go to Wounded Knee to protest.
The Wounded Knee Occupation
That same night, February 27, 1973, many cars traveled to Wounded Knee. The group then took over the village. This event, known as the Wounded Knee Occupation, lasted for 71 days.
During this time, Gladys Bissonette worked at the health clinic set up there. She was also one of the people who talked with Kent Frizzell. He was an Assistant Attorney General chosen to negotiate with the protesters. Gladys strongly argued with Frizzell about ending the protest and what would happen next. She explained that the protesters were at Wounded Knee because the government had not listened to them. She said, "we have wrote letters, we have sent phone calls —I know, I did myself. We have made statements to our Congressmen. We asked, we begged, that Pine Ridge be investigated. It never was done." The Wounded Knee occupation finally ended on May 8, 1973.
If the United States Government had honored our 1868 Treaty, I would think right today we would all live in peace because we the Lakota Nation upheld our treaties... Any militancy on our part has been provoked by the United States. Anything of violence shows the people of the world that the United States Government has made these laws and not lived up to them. They broke all of them since 1868.
Life After Wounded Knee
After the Wounded Knee occupation, Gladys returned to Pine Ridge. She faced legal challenges from the U.S. courts. Sadly, her adopted son, Pedro Bissonette, who was also an activist, died on October 1, 1973. More sadness came on March 30, 1975, when her grandson, Richard Eagle, passed away. He was playing with a gun kept for protection from the Goon Squad. Gladys Bissonette died a few years later.
