Wounded Knee

Culture Shock Camp the group that is coming to visit us this Monday created the song "Wounded Knee". The song has few lyrics however it is still very powerful. It samples vocals, which repeat two lines "we were all wounded at wounded knee" and "Manifest Destiny". The battle of Wounded Knee was massacre of around 300 members of the Lakota Sioux tribe including unarmed women and children. Over twenty US troopers were awarded the Medal of Honor after the event. (Karen, Storm 1995) Manifest destiny was the concept widely held by Americans in the 19^th century that the USA was destined to expand across the continent.

Here is an image of those that passed away at Wounded Knee.

Here is an painting of the concept of manifest destiny. The painting was done by John Gast and called American Progress in 1872, The white woman is Colombia or a personification that was supposed to represent the United States. Here she is carrying a schoolbook and stringing telephone wire across the United States. The west, which was populated by Native American tribes, is depicted as a land of darkness and nothingness. The westward expansion of the colonial United States resulted in the oppression and genocide of many Native American peoples one example of which is Wounded Knee.

I am also posting this song by Quese IMC because they are pretty awesome!