[News] Madonna Thunder Hawk: A Firsthand Personal Account of Wounded Knee 1973

[Anti-Imperialist News]

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Madonna Thunder Hawk: A Firsthand Personal Account of Wounded Knee 1973
[image: a man holding a gun next to a man in a hat]

Today is the 50th anniversary of the American Indian Movement's takeover of
Wounded Knee. (Photo/PBS)
By Madonna Thunder Hawk February 27, 2023

*Guest Opinion. *Today, I share with you the story of my experience on the
ground during that monumental moment. I’ll talk about the way things
unfolded and how those weeks under siege were the first domino in a series
of events that catapulted our movement into the international spotlight —
and also eventually led to the formation of the Lakota People’s Law Project.

By the time the standoff began that February, I was already a seasoned
activist. I’d met with the local American Indian Movement (AIM) chapter in
the Twin Cities in the 1960s, and I’d joined relatives in California to
occupy Alcatraz. When the call went out from the people of Pine Ridge to
help lead discussions to confront issues in their communities, I didn’t
hesitate. Little did I know that a planned series of strategy meetings
would turn into an epic, months-long siege that would threaten our lives
and gain international media attention.
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On the evening of February 27, 1973, after we finished talking with folks
in a village called Calico, our caravan headed toward Porcupine. We were
several miles north of Wounded Knee when the word went out that the feds
were upon us. Armored personnel carriers had been spotted, and the Army,
FBI, and other law enforcement agencies were converging on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation. We realized we had to get the caravan and our people to
safety. And when we got to the village of Wounded Knee, the first firefight
started.

Many people, including everyone in our car, got arrested that night, and
for the first four or five nights of the occupation, I was in jail. Once
released, I did what everyone else was doing: I loaded up on supplies and
headed back to Wounded Knee. And there I remained until the siege ended
more than two months later.

On the ground, it was minute to minute, day to day. It was a full military
action, and we never knew what would happen. Firefights occurred almost
every night, with flares and tracers raining down to light up the area. My
job — I was one of four women doing this — was as a medic. We each had
different bunkers to cover in case someone got shot. I was assigned four
bunkers on the south side. Every night, it was nonstop activity. People
would sneak in and out, hiding in the grass, bringing food and other
supplies. Many were arrested. In that situation, you’re just trying to make
sure everyone’s alive and healthy. If you couldn’t find someone, you
wondered if they’d been killed or taken to jail.

During this time, I met Danny Sheehan, who would go on to lead several
seminal legal justice fights and become our Lakota Law president and chief
counsel. During the standoff, Danny was staying with my brother-in-law,
Herman Thunder Hawk, in the house where we monitored government
communications via CB radio. He was among many legal volunteers who showed
up when it mattered most, and he stayed busy prepping criminal defenses for
our people. It’s notable that no one was ever convicted after the standoff.
All charges were eventually dismissed because of prosecutorial misconduct.
The FBI had illegally wiretapped attorneys.

Those weeks under siege were hard, but they were worth it. We took a stand
that mattered, and we held the world’s attention on nightly newscasts. We
inspired later landback and occupy movements, and we formed connections
that last until the present day. 32 years later, in 2005 — when South
Dakota’s Department of Social Services wouldn’t stop taking our children —
Russell Means urged me to talk with Danny again, leading to the founding of
Lakota Law. We’ve been in this fight together, off and on, for half a
century.

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