The Wounded Knee Massacre was the result of high tensions between the Sioux Indians and the United States government, which occurred on December 29, 1890. 500 soldiers and 300 Sioux were involved; “150 Sioux… lay dead and another 50 were wounded. Army losses amounted to 25 dead and 40 wounded” (Keenan). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay It took place in South Dakota and began with the growing popularity of the Ghost Dance, a religion that highlighted Native resistance against the government and ended with the deaths of two Native leaders Sitting Bull and Big Foot. The massacre was well anticipated but was the last of the major clashes between Native Americans and the U.S. government. The Ghost Dance was a movement that encouraged the idea that life could return to the way it was before the settlers arrived. “The religion promised that dead ancestors and game would come back to life.” It brought hope to those struggling with hunger, disease, and oppression caused by settlers. To fulfill their religion they danced around a tree and wore "ghost shirts". The government was concerned about rebellion against their authority based on the ideals of the Ghost Dance. As the Ghost Dance movement spread among Native American tribes, the government attempted to keep it under control. General Nelson Miles took control of the Missouri Division and ordered the arrest of Sitting Bull and Big Foot. Lieutenant Colonel Sumner was in charge of arresting Big Foot. When he went to arrest Big Foot, he discovered that Big Foot was not where Sumner thought he would be because he was taking care of business within his community. This was an embarrassment to Lieutenant Colonel Sumner and increased tensions. General Miles was exhausted after the failed imprisonment of Bigfoot. He ordered Colonel Forsyth of the 7th Cavalry to capture Big Foot. The cavalry surrounded Big Foot's group on the night of December 28, 1890. The 300 natives awoke with 500 soldiers. The soldiers should have simply escorted them to another location, but the situation was tense. It's still unknown who fired the first shot, but the whole scene erupted into chaos afterward. In the end the dead were 175, only 14.29% were soldiers; Chief Big Foot also died. After this terrible tragedy the popularity of Ghost Dance declined. General Miles temporarily removed Colonel Forsyth from his position. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay This massacre is similar to the Sand Creek massacre because many died and the government much outnumbered the Native Americans. In my opinion, however, it is different because it was slightly less one-sided. The definition between massacre and battle can be confusing; what defines whether it is a massacre, a tragedy or a battle. For this event it is unclear; recognizing that many more natives died than soldiers, it's also worth considering that there was violence on both sides and was slightly less like shooting a fish in a barrel than some of the other altercations between natives and the government. Regardless, this event was a tragedy in American history, leaving 175 dead, many more injured, and a lack of peace between the government and the Native Americans. Works Cited Deloria, P.J. (2003). Indians in unexpected places. University of Kansas Press. Hämäläinen, P. (2019). Lakota America: A new history of indigenous power. Yale University Press. Keenan, J. J. (1993). Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. Holt Paperbacks. McLaughlin, R. P. (2012). The religion of dance.