But the land was already claimed by a people when the cowboy came and when the soldiers came.

The story of the American Indian is in a lot of ways a story of tragedy,

like that day at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.



Big Foot was an Indian chief

Of the Minneconjou band,

A band of Minneconjou Sioux

From South Dakota land.



Big Foot said to Custer,

"Stay away from Crazy Horse."

But Custer crossed into Sioux land,

And he never came back across.



Then Big Foot led his people

To a place called Wounded Knee,

And they found themselves surrounded

By the 7th Cavalry.



Big chief Big Foot,

Rise up from your bed,

Minneconjou babies cry

For their mothers lying dead.



Big Foot was down with a fever

When he reached Wounded Knee;

And his people all were prisoners

Of the 7th Cavalry.



Two hundred women and children

And another hundred men

Raised up a white flag of peace,

But peace did not begin.



An accidental gunshot

And Big Foot was first to die;

And over the noise of the rifles

You could hear the babies cry.



Big chief Big Foot,

It's good that you can't see

Revenge is being wrought

By Custer's 7th Cavalry.



Then smoke hung over the canyon

On that cold December day.

All was death and dying

Around where Big Foot lay.



Farther on up the canyon

Some had tried to run and hide;

But death showed no favorites,

Women, men, and children died.



One side called it a "massacre,"

The other a "victory,"

But the white flag is still waving

Today at Wounded Knee.



Big chief Big Foot,

Your Minneconjou band

Is more than remembered here

In South Dakota land.