Liberation Day event marks anniversary of Wounded Knee occupation

At the end of February, Dakota AIM Grassroots hosted AIM Liberation Day in collaboration with Wambli Ska at North Middle School on Maple Avenue to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the Feb. 27, 1973, occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, according to Native Sun News. The American Indian Movement, founded in Minneapolis in 1968, was established to address issues including police brutality, poverty and discrimination against urban Native people, according to Native Sun News. The movement later expanded to focus on tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and the preservation of Native languages, culture and spirituality.

Wambli Ska Executive Director Christ White Eagle, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, said the event included speakers discussing the significance of the 1973 standoff and its lasting impact. “It’s important to remember and honor those who fought for our rights,” White Eagle was quoted as saying. Jonathan Old Horse, Oglala Lakota pastor and resident, said the movement led to changes that continue to shape Native communities. “We can have long hair. We can practice our culture without being ashamed. It’s small things, but they were not available back then,” Old Horse was quoted as saying. The event also included traditional dancing, vendors and a buffalo feed honoring those involved in the movement.