Armed AIM Militants, 1973, The LA Times
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The Occupation of Wounded Knee began on February 27th, 1973, when a group of Native Americans led by the American Indian Movement seized the town of Wounded Knee in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to protest tribal government corruption and the failure of the United States to fulfill historical treaties. The FBI and federal marshals surrounded the reservation. Shooting erupted between the two sides several times over the course of the siege, leading to two wounded federal agents and two slain indians. On May 5th, both sides agreed to disarm and the occupation ended after 71 days. The highly publicized incident failed to achieve its stated goal of impeaching corrupt tribal officials, but it inspired greater support for the American Indian Movement across the country.
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