What happened at Wounded Knee? Massacre trends online as Pete Hegseth declares medals won’t be vacated

The Wounded Knee Massacre, also called the Battle of Wounded Knee, recently made it to the Twitter trends. The increased interest was a recent announcement from the U.S. Secretary of War, officially known as Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. 

The SecWar declared in a video statement on Thursday, September, that the medals awarded to Wounded Knee soldiers for their actions in 1890 will not be revoked. Hegseth also described the historical incident as the Battle of Wounded Knee, rather than a massacre, which garnered many reactions on X, with many users criticizing him. 

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment surrounded the Miniconjou, Lakota Sioux in December 1890, under the Chief Spotted Elk, aka Big Foot. The U.S. Army escorted Lakota individuals to a camp near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. On December 29, the 7th Cavalry attempted to disarm them. During the process, a deaf Miniconjou named Black Coyote refused to give up his weapon. 

His gun went off during the disarmament, which Encyclopaedia Britannica notes might have been accidental. Afterwards, the 7th Cavalry soldiers opened fire indiscriminately at the Lakota people, which included many disarmed men, women, and children. Around 150 to 300 native Americans were estimated to have died during the shootout, while 25 army men lost their lives. 

According to the account of Dr. Charles Eastman, a Dakota, published by the National Library of Medicine, the soldiers “relentlessly hunted down” those who attempted to flee the scene. Eastman, who was a few miles away from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Great Plains, South Dakota, where the massacre happened, wrote (via nlm.nih.gov): 

“Some of our people discovered relatives or friends among the dead, and there was much wailing and mourning. When we reached the spot where the Indian camp had stood, among the fragments of burned tents and other belongings, we saw frozen bodies lying close together or piled one upon another.” 

Reflecting upon the tragedy, he continued: 

“It took all my nerve to keep my composure in the face of this spectacle, and of the grief of my Indian companions, nearly everyone of whom was crying aloud or singing his death song.” 

Internet reacts after SecWar Pete Hegseth announces that Wounded Knee Soldiers’ medals will not be revoked

If you're unaware, the "Battle" at Wounded Knee was when the US Army gunned down Lakota men, women, & children after confiscating their privately-owned firearms https://t.co/Bu7Sl9Yaej

— Joshua Bailey (@JoshuaBailey184) September 26, 2025

The Secretary of War declared on Thursday about his decision not to vacate medals of honor awarded to 7th Cavalry Soldiers for their actions at Wounded Knee Creek. However, many on X criticized Pete Hegseth for using the word battle, instead of massacre. 

“This man is ignorant. Wounded Knee was a massacre not a battle,” a user wrote. 

“Wounded Knee was a massacre, not a 'battle'….nearly 300 Lakota were killed by the US Army,” another one wrote. 

“We shouldn’t honor soldiers responsible for murdering hundreds of Native American men, women, and children. Wounded Knee was considered an atrocity by its contemporaries, this isn’t even controversial. It was literally recognized as a massacre by an Act of Congress in 1990,” one user opined. 

“What the f*ck is wrong with these people. Wounded Knee was a bloodthirsty massacre of Lakota Sioux, including dozens of women and children,” another one said. 

“If you're unaware, the ‘Battle’ at Wounded Knee was when the US Army gunned down Lakota men, women, & children after confiscating their privately-owned firearms,” someone added. 

Under my direction, the soldiers who fought at the Battle of Wounded Knee will keep their medals.

This decision is final. Their place in history is settled. pic.twitter.com/klQlB6MZ6l

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 25, 2025

For those unaware, Pete Hegseth spoke about a review panel set up by Biden’s administration. He talked about the deliberation of the panel, which concluded its report in October 2024: 

“Under previous admin a review panel was convened to determine whether soldiers awarded the medal of honor for their actions at the battle of Wounded Knee should keep their medals. Now, upon deliberation, that panel concluded that these brave soldiers should in fact rightfully keep their medals from actions in 1890.” 

Hegseth criticized his predecessor, Lloyd Austin, for not implementing the report based on the panel’s discussions, and claimed he was more focused on being “politically correct than historically correct.” He reiterated his decision while mentioning honoring the Wounded Knee soldiers.