Comparing Two Historical Articles On The Wounded Knee Massacre

Analysis of two historical articles on the Wounded Knee Massacre.

This essay will provide an analysis of two differing articles on the events, lead up and subsequent aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Occurring near Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890. The massacre has in the past often been referred to as a battle. It involved the shooting of around 300 Lakota people by the United States Army. It is still the deadliest mass shooting in American history. This topic connects to the ideas of crime, justice, and human rights. In broad and specific ways. Most would agree that the very act of a massacre is a crime. Justice can be incorporated in that the Lakota people did not receive justice for the atrocities committed against them. Human

His central thesis claims that the suppression of Ghost Dancing through military force was He writes of the alarm of both reservation agents as well as the alarm of white settlers as major catalysts for the events. Ostler introduces the idea that in this period the government was heavily involved in the “American West”. The government wanted to have direct management of reservations and assimilate American Indians further into western society. He pointed out the viewpoint of the government that they were simply responding to others demands for their involvement. When studying Ostler’s use of evidence it becomes apparent his use of a broad variety of sources, direct first hand accounts, particularly from soldiers and generals. Biographies, often consulted on the perspectives of Indian men. Newspaper articles from the period. Historical books and journal articles. This wide array of both primary, secondary and scholarly resources points to a well-rounded, trustworthy research

Grua’s article on Wounded Knee is particularly interesting in the aftermath of the massacre. Specifically surrounding the politics of memory. He is interested in how the remembrance of the Wounded Knee Massacre differed between how Americans portrayed their involvement and how Natives struggled to challenge these ideas. He focuses his article around a specific commemorative monument. He points out the idea that this monument works to reclaim the portrayal of the Wounded Knee Massacre. He describes the anger from the Lakota people at the killing of innocent women and children. The monument commemorates them specifically. Grua also emphasises and talks of the Lakota’s specific and insistent use of the word massacre. He describes this as an example of linguistic politics that was a further effort of making a claim on the remembrance of Wounded Knee. Grua’s footnotes provide further evidence of his particular focus. Many of his sources are scholarly articles interested in the idea of memory. He, like Ostler, has used many first-hand accounts as resources. In comparison, most are of American Indian voices and