Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act

The Frame

What this does

The bill changes the legal status of 40 acres of land, granting the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes permanent control over the site while prohibiting its use for gaming activities and ensuring existing utility agreements remain in place.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Oglala Sioux Tribe

The tribe gains restricted fee status over the land and assumes jurisdiction over the site.

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

The tribe gains joint ownership and restricted fee status over the land.

South Dakota state and local governments

These entities lose the ability to tax the 40-acre parcel once it is placed in restricted fee status.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 1, 2024.

What's next

Introduced.

Background

The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred on December 29, 1890, and remains a site of profound historical and cultural significance for the Lakota people. context

Summary

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to place approximately 40 acres of land at the Wounded Knee site in South Dakota into '' for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. This status ensures the land remains under tribal ownership and jurisdiction while exempting it from state or local taxation.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'restricted fee status' mean?

It means the land is owned by the tribes, is part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, is exempt from state/local taxes, and cannot be sold or transferred without Congressional and tribal consent.

Can the tribes use this land for a casino?

No, the bill explicitly prohibits gaming activity on this land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

What happens to existing utility lines on the property?

The bill requires that all existing private or municipal utility agreements and easements remain in effect.

Why It Matters

The bill changes the legal status of 40 acres of land, granting the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes permanent control over the site while prohibiting its use for gaming activities and ensuring existing utility agreements remain in place.

News Coverage

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Related Legislation

Federal Bill85% related

The LASSO Act: Redirecting Public Land Revenue to Social Security

The LASSO Act proposes to transfer 10% of annual revenue generated from federal public lands directly into the Social Security Trust Fund. This change

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Codification of Private Covenant

The bill explicitly incorporates a private 2022 covenant between two tribes into federal law, bypassing standard Interior Department review processes for land use.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Connected Entities

organizationCongress“Requires consent for land transfer.”Map →

organizationOglala Sioux Tribe“Primary beneficiary of the land's restricted fee status.”Map →

locationOglala Lakota County“The county where the land is located.”Map →

locationPine Ridge Indian Reservation“The location of the affected land.”Map →

locationRural County Road 4“The road near the Wounded Knee site.”Map →

dateDecember 29, 1890“Date of the Wounded Knee Massacre.”Map →

bill_numberFort Laramie Treaty of 1868“Relevant treaty impacting tribal land rights.”Map →

organizationSecretary of the Interior“Responsible for executing the bill's directives.”Map →

organizationCheyenne River Sioux Tribe“Co-beneficiary of the land's restricted fee status.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level