Tribal Leaders Push Back Pete Hegseth Decision on Wounded Knee Medals
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that soldiers who fought at Wounded Knee in 1890 will keep their medals — a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from Native leaders. Tribal leaders and community advocates call it a misrepresentation of history, emphasizing that the event was a massacre, not a battle, where hundreds of unarmed Lakota were killed.
✍️ Reported by Shirley Sneve
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@IndianCountryToday
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
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@ramsestoo
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
What a disgusting behavior! What a sad and pathetic country US become! Only lies and lies! MadneSS – sadneSS!!!!
@SheilaYScholljegerdes
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Thank you Pete Hegseth. I'm guessing you already have won this war that they will call another massacre. Thank God for TRUMP.
@Tojodogboy
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
A soldier who massacred sick women and children at Wounded Knee isn’t worthy of a medal. It’s great to correct such stupid, hateful destructive decisions made by racist hateful people. I’m all for it.
@Hunter-sd7ib
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
🤬
@laurasorrells1242
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
It took me a minute to realize what Hegseth was saying, that perpetrators of genocide should be remembered as heroes for "what they did." I'm so sorry.
@glittermama
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
The people who decided this action should be disgraced and not the grunts on the field.
@JohnNegonscott
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
do some research and honor the men that were disobeying orders and turning on the main body…………….compare this to malai VI Vietnam on man and his helicopter crew seen and responded the same way the veitnamese people knew what happened and so did america their was a posative spirit present acting through them where theres darkness theres light..from what ive heard there were some human beings at wounded knee if they gave an inch they took a mileif they want to honor them heros then honor our helpers
@surrelljr
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
These people want to honor the “good old days”, that weren’t so good.
@davidschlessinger9945
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
the great whitewashing (whitewasping) of genocide against indigenous peoples
@unbreakable7633
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Leave the past the hell alone. Tearing down monuments, taking medals, don't correct anything that happened in the past. Leave it be, dang.
@ajscaffandthebandoles
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Watching this on Indigenous People's day, Kegsbreath should endure a terrible life real soon.
@ronp854
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
The same people that call the events of 1921 the "Tulsa Race Riots" and not the Tusla Massacre. This happens over and over and people will never learn if history is whitewashed. History is a lesson for the future both the good and the bad.
@robertcua2337
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Let them keep their medals. What belongs to the Whiteman belongs to the Whiteman. The aboriginal tribes keep their lands, they belong to the land and the land belongs to them.
@jgriff2646
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
I'm so sorry from the UK, that you have to bear this pain from the governments twice over, make your voice heard loud and clear
@CDA129
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
This DEVIL holds up "paper" to prove those murderers deserved a medal for massacring 300 unarmed civilians. What a brave man that DEVIL is…
@Snoopindaweb
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
🤠💬>} Tatanka Oyate Pilamaya { 👍 ➕ 🤗😊😋 Tataka Bar's GOOD 🍫 👀‼ 🤠👁🗨YUP❗ ❤🤍💙 🪶 – G~G. 🗽🦅*.
@useyourbrain1539
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Nah, Secretary, you're wrong on this one.
@olddaze3328
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Murder at Wounded Knee , there is no honor in killing unarmed people by the government .
@JoshDixon-q1o
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
It wasn't a battle . They murdered families. Medal of Honor ? There was no honor there.
@commonsense5125
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
How were 20 medals of honor even awarded for this? At least I think thats what was said. Not even one should have been awarded for killing women and children period.
@Stetson-z8y
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Maybe some those brave soldiers slept peacefully. Clubbing a little child.
@reneboisselle
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Eggset, your country is always going too far as usual.
@dianabenobo
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
The current administration does not only insist upon the utility of the incorrect in political behaviors. They also seem to aspire to finding success in anthropological futility. Their strategy seems to avoid philosophy, abandon morality, and despise virtue.
@CathleenTrotto
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
F their medals anyway. They mean absolutely nothing. If they killed, they are evil.
@kirkstewart-vf6hg
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
It was a massacre not a battle!
@WayfaringDay
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
This is an outrage. The massacre at Wounded Knee lies heavy on my heart because I was born on December 29th, which reminds me of that horrific event. There was nothing heroic about it. And let's not forget that, the author of that ever so popular book 'The Wizard of Oz' publicly advocated for the annihilation of native peoples. It sickens me to hear that they want to honor these soldiers who committed such a cowardly act.
@warbearc6739
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
There are allot of natives in this country if they would unify and stand up and tell the real history of how the whites committed genocide to take the land away from the indigenous people to divide it up and trash it. Then the real histories would be known about a country that condemns other countries for doing the same thing hmmm how ironic.
@warbearc6739
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Hegseth is trash, I’m a Native American and to see this trash attacking natives just as the white soldiers did to the old and children but they are hero’s….hahaha😂
@wwb16
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
his ignorance is astounding
@dailybreadministrytrust
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Then sue him for defamation.
@JoeGentry-g7k
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Nobody deserves medals for murdering innocent unarmed Men women and Children.
@otpo1
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
From the Netherlands: It appears to me that the Trump administration tries to hurt as many people as possible.
Purposely hurting people is psychopathic and evil.They are a disgrace to mankind.
I feel for you all.
@whiteraven69
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Americans are getting closer to another massacre and outright killing of citizens in our streets. We are the cusp of a civil war. We have learned nothing from history . This administration and Trump are here to hold a mirror and represent the darkness and ugly of humanity. This is a Call for the human beings to take a stand heal our wounds and anger and move forward in Unity.
@leonfowler1517
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
This must of come from that horrible woman if you want to call her that, Christie Noem, cause she got band from all reservations in the United States.
@leonfowler1517
February 12, 2026 at 8:48 pm
This Hedgseth is a dh. His facts are on the wrong side of history. That's s administration is the worst of its kind. Must vote 🔵 Wave 🌊
Comments are closed.