Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act
Sponsors
Mike Rounds
R-SD | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedReported by Ms. Murkowski, without amendment
Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Thune) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does:
This bill tells the Secretary of the Interior to finish all necessary steps within a year to give around 40 acres of land in South Dakota to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. This land is where the Wounded Knee Massacre happened in 1890, and it's meant to be used as a memorial and sacred site.
Who Benefits and How:
- Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe: They gain ownership of the 40 acres, which they can use for cultural, spiritual, and educational purposes. This land is important to them because of its historical significance.
- Native American communities nationwide: This bill sets a precedent for protecting sacred sites and recognizing Native American land rights.
Who Bears the Burden and How:
- Taxpayers: While there are no direct costs mentioned in the bill, some taxpayers might indirectly bear the burden if the government spends money on surveying or managing the land.
- Non-native individuals with interests on the land: They may face restrictions on using their existing rights-of-way or utility agreements once the land is transferred.
Key Provisions:
- The Secretary must complete all necessary actions within 365 days of the bill's enactment to transfer the land to the tribes in "restricted fee status."
- The land will be used for memorial and sacred site purposes, as agreed upon by the two tribes.
- The land remains subject to existing private or municipal encumbrances but cannot be used for gaming activities under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete necessary actions to hold approximately 40 acres of land in restricted fee status by the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe for memorial and sacred site purposes.
Policy Domains
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Interior
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A land status where the Tribes own and control the land, with specific conditions regarding transfer, taxation, jurisdiction, and use.
The Secretary of the Interior.
Approximately 40 acres on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, including surface and subsurface estate, mineral estate, improvements, structures, and personal property.
The Oglala Sioux Tribe and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, both signatories to the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology