Wounded Knee, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wounded Knee
Čaŋkpé Opí (Lakota)
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Wounded Knee in 2005
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 Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Location in South Dakota
Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  South Dakota |
| County | Oglala Lakota |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.07 sq mi (2.77 km2) |
| • Land | 1.07 sq mi (2.77 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,235 ft (986 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 364 |
| • Density | 340.19/sq mi (131.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
57794
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-72900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393868 |
Wounded Knee (which means Čaŋkpé Opí in the Lakota language) is a small community in South Dakota, United States. It is located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala Lakota County. In 2020, about 364 people lived there.
The town gets its name from the Wounded Knee Creek that flows through the area. It is believed that the famous Sioux chief Crazy Horse was buried near this creek in 1877. Wounded Knee is part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which is the land of the Oglala Lakota people.
Contents
Important Events in History
Wounded Knee is known for two very important historical events.
The Wounded Knee Massacre
On December 29, 1890, a terrible event known as the Wounded Knee Massacre happened here. The United States 7th Cavalry killed more than 300 Lakota men, women, and children. These people were being moved to the Sioux reservation at Pine Ridge. This event was a sad and violent part of American history.
The Wounded Knee Occupation
Much later, on February 27, 1973, another important event took place. The American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee. AIM is a group that works for the rights of Native Americans. They were protesting against how the United States government treated Native American people.
This protest led to a 71-day standoff between the AIM members and federal authorities. The standoff ended peacefully on May 8, 1973, when the group members surrendered.
Where is Wounded Knee?
Wounded Knee is located in South Dakota. It covers a small area of land, about 1.1 square miles (2.77 square kilometers). All of this area is land, with no water.
People Living in Wounded Knee
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1990 | 18 | — | |
| 2000 | 328 | 1,722.2% | |
| 2010 | 382 | 16.5% | |
| 2020 | 364 | −4.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 328 people living in Wounded Knee. Most of the people living there, about 98.78%, were Native American. A small number, about 1.22%, were White. About 0.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
Many households in Wounded Knee had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about six people. The median age of people living in Wounded Knee in 2000 was 18 years old. This means half the population was younger than 18 and half was older.
Education
Students in Wounded Knee attend schools that are part of the Oglala Lakota County School District 65-1.
See also
In Spanish: Wounded Knee (Dakota del Sur) para niños
