HONORING THE WOMEN OF WOUNDED KNEE :
50TH ANNIVERSARY TRAVELING EXHIBIT

The 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee was a defining moment in the centuries-long struggle for American Indian self-determination, and has become a world-wide emblem for Indigenous resurgence. 

Commemorating the occupation’s 50th anniversary, the “Honoring the Women of Wounded Knee” exhibit foregrounds the forgotten Indian women leaders at the center of this iconic resistance—and their fights for self-determination before and since. 

Thoughtfully researched and beautifully designed, the exhibit reveals that Indian women not only initiated the occupation, coordinated the camp’s logistics, fed its masses, and healed its wounded. They also coordinated the occupation’s communications strategy, founded the Independent Oglala Nation, and took up arms to protect it.

Drawing on two decades of oral history interviewing and a range of archival material, the exhibit provides an intimate, immersive learning experience that sheds new light on how Indian women forged a self-governing community and brought self-determination into being. Comprising 16 retractable panels, the exhibit includes 12 life-size panels dedicated to individual women narrators, conveying their biographies and experiences, while accompanying tablets showcase clips from their oral history interviews. 

For the first time, visitors can hear the stories of Wounded Knee’s matriarchs, in their own words.