Lakota Woman

Lakota Woman

by

Mary Crow Dog

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Lakota Woman: Chapter 9 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
The three main buildings that the activists used during the 71-day-long occupation of Wounded Knee were the Sacred Heart Church, the museum, and the Gildersleeve Trading Post. The trading post was the most important, as it had food and other supplies. Mary adds that the Lakota people had always resented the trading post, as it exploited their tragedy by making the site of the massacre a tourist hot spot.
The insensitivity of making Wounded Knee a tourist spot highlights the callousness of white society toward Native Americans. Not only was it white people who murdered the Lakota at Wounded Knee, but the white population later exploited the tragedy to make money. The resentment that Mary and the other Lakota feel appears to have strengthened their resolve during the occupation, as they take all the supplies within the trading post to support their efforts.
Themes
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People each assumed different roles. Someone made an inventory of groceries, and another was appointed head of security. Leonard Crow Dog was the spiritual leader. By the afternoon of the day of their arrival, they could see the approaching cars of the FBI and U.S. marshals.
Mary shows how the activists worked together to sustain the occupation. People assumed various roles to make it possible for the group to survive and for the occupation to last as long as possible. The implication is that the success of the protest depended on everyone working together.
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Mary interjects to say that not every day of the Wounded Knee Occupation was done doing heroic deeds. In fact, much of it was spent completing the tasks and routines of everyday life, from doing dishes to getting married.
Mary continues to show how people took up various roles and duties to ensure that life achieved some sense of normality during the occupation. By cooperating together, the activists built a community at Wounded Knee.
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At one point, a white volunteer nurse scolded the Native American women for "betraying the cause of womankind" by agreeing to do all the domestic chores, like cooking, washing dishes, preparing the men's sleeping quarters, and sewing. They responded by saying that "her kind of women's lib was a white, middle-class thing." Until the Native American men had their civil and political rights, they (the women) wouldn't "argu[e] with them about who should do the dishes."
The white woman’s criticism of Native American women reveals the narrow-minded version of feminism that the white woman supported. Not taking into account how Native American women were still fighting for the civil and political rights that all Native Americans were deprived of, the white woman projected her goals and more privileged experience onto the Native American women. As a white person, she wasn’t subjected to racism. She already had many civil rights protected by the government because of her race. The Native American women, however, were still fighting for many rights that white women already had. By not addressing the issues that Native American women—and other women of color—faced, the white woman (and the white women’s liberation movement in general) wasn’t being inclusive of the needs and experiences of the Native American women with whom she worked. For the Native American women, their allegiance and priorities lay with AIM, not with white women; they wanted to first work with Native American men ensure that all indigenous people (both men and women) had their civil rights before they would protest against Native American men’s sexism.
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Quotes
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Mary adds that both men and women put in a lot of work. For example, Bob Free, an engineer, organized a crew of men who did a lot of manual labor, from constructing latrines to making bunkers. Meanwhile, some women carried pistols and participated in the exchange of fire between activists and U.S. government officials.
Mary goes on to show how the white woman wasn’t even correct in her assumption that the roles were strictly divided by gender. While Native American women did generally complete more domestic and manual labor than Native American men, Mary says that this wasn't always the case. Some men, like Bob Free and his crew, did a lot of manual labor while some Native American women took on more military roles (which were typically performed by men).
Themes
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After a few days, the exchanges of fire started happening daily. A one-day ceasefire was arranged to let the women and children leave, but many women—Mary included—refused to go. Even at eight months pregnant, Mary continued to do her share of chores. During this period, she and Pedro Bissonette became good friends, with him always making sure that she had enough food.
The fact that Mary refused to leave the occupation—even while pregnant—demonstrates her dedication to AIM and OSCRO's mission at Wounded Knee. She wanted to continue to participate and do her part in making sure that the activists' occupation was as successful as possible. Additionally, by staying at Wounded Knee while pregnant, Mary challenged expectations of what women can and cannot do while pregnant; she demonstrated that pregnancy doesn't necessarily preclude women from emotionally and physically taxing endeavors like ongoing political protests. The many other women who joined Mary in refusing to leave Wounded Knee also exemplify how women take intense interest in their political environments. They, like Mary, are just as dedicated as the men are in terms of fighting for Native American civil rights.
Themes
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Assimilation, Tradition, and Identity Theme Icon
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Even though the federal officers were far better equipped than the AIM and OSCRO activists, they were generally unable to really tighten the perimeter, as they avoided getting lost in the land surrounding Wounded Knee. So, throughout the siege, groups of Native Americans from all across the continent snuck through the perimeter to join the activists.
The arrival and support of Native Americans from various tribes shows that intertribal unity aided in perpetuating the occupation. Although these Native Americans weren't all Lakota or from Pine Ridge, they knew that protesting the U.S. government's abuse and mistreatment of the Pine Ridge Lakota could perhaps lead to change that would affect them and their rights, too.
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Quotes
Mary interjects to add that there were many light-hearted moments during the siege, such as when several of the activists made a big scene while burying empty film canisters. The federal agents were alarmed, thinking that they were planting mines. For a moment, the federal officers scattered from the area, and the activists "scored another coup."
The more humorous moments of the occupation demonstrate how the protest lifted the spirits of the participating activists. While the primary goal of the occupation was to protest the mistreatment of Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. government, it was also a way for activists to know that they were doing their part in fighting back against a power that oppressed them.
Themes
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After a few days, the government tightened its grip on Wounded Knee, bringing in a sniper helicopter and a special kill-and-destroy team. On the other hand, the Native American activists had old weapons and only a meagre amount of ammo.
There was a stark difference in resources between the U.S. government officials and the Native American activists. While the activists had only a few guns and a little ammunition, the U.S. government brought in a wave of specialty war weapons. This show of power accentuated the differences in wealth and resources that each side possessed; the U.S. government had funds to spend on technologically advanced war weapons while indigenous communities fought for more resources to be invested in their communities. But the government's weapons didn't cow the activists. They clearly believed in the importance of their protest (of the U.S.'s abuse of indigenous peoples, specifically in Pine Ridge) and so continued to hold out.
Themes
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Mary interrupts her narrative to insert a Cheyenne saying: "A nation is not lost as long as the hearts of its women are not on the ground." During the siege, many women stepped up to fight, such as when one woman took over her husband's bunker after he was wounded in crossfire.
Mary takes a moment to stress the women's important role in the occupation. Dedicated to fighting for the civil rights of their people, women not only helped the siege operate but also participated in the exchanges of fire.
Themes
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It was during the siege that Mary had a chance to meet Annie Mae Aquash, a Micmac woman who became one of Mary's dearest friends. They met when Annie Mae confronted a group of Native American women who weren't doing their fair share of chores; Mary liked Annie Mae's attitude, and from that moment on, the two women became friends.
Annie Mae was Micmac, not Lakota, yet she still participated in the Occupation of Wounded Knee, whose original purpose was to protest the abuses of Wilson's regime against the Oglala Lakota who lived in Pine Ridge, the reservation that he presided over. Annie Mae's participation is another example of intertribal unity; she joined in AIM and OSCRO's protest to fight against the U.S. government's mistreatment of all indigenous people. Mary shows that Annie Mae's sense of solidarity and collaboration was strong—she even scolded people who weren't doing their part in ensuring that the occupation could continue.
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On March 12, 1973, the activists at Wounded Knee declared the area to be a sovereign territory of the Oglala Nation. Anyone, no matter what race, could join. Mary adds that this was a reference to how, in 1868, the Lakota had been recognized as an independent nation in the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Shortly thereafter, however, the U.S. government revoked the treaty.
The U.S. government's going back on the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie is another example of how the Native Americans' attempts to cooperate with the U.S. government were futile, as the U.S. government only broke the Treaty and exploited the Treaty to force indigenous tribes to "agree" to terms that were not adequately explained. The implication is that trying to cooperate with an oppressing power is useless, as the oppressor will only exploit one's compromises and continue to exert its power. Meanwhile, the activists demonstrated their inclusivity by announcing that anyone could join them in holding Wounded Knee, which highlights how all people—regardless of race or gender or beliefs—can join in the fight for equal rights.
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Every now and then, the leaders of both sides—the activists and the government officials—met to try to negotiate an agreement. Each time, the government officials insisted that the activists had to surrender their weapons before the officials would consider the activists' demands. The activists refused, saying that they would only surrender their weapons when the officials would hear out the activists' demands.
The activists had countless historic examples that showed that giving into the government's demands only results in the government getting what they want. The activists had leverage in their negotiations only so long as they continued to resist—if they maintained the occupation, the government would eventually be pressured to give in to their demands.
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Switching back to the narrative of the siege, Mary reminisces on the two airdrops that happened during the siege. Food supplies started running low rather early on, so the airdrops were greatly appreciated. The first one was carried out by a part-Mohawk man who flew with a Vietnam veteran to drop off food for the activists. On the day of the second airdrop, one of the activists, a man named Frank Clearwater, was killed.
Again, the activists received outside support which allowed them to continue holding the occupation. Neither of the people who executed the first airdrop of food were Lakota (in other words, Wilson's tyrannical and violent regime didn't affect them), but they clearly believed in the activists' mission of resistance against a government that abused its power.
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Frank Clearwater was one of two men who were killed during the siege of Wounded Knee. Mary adds that both of the men were activists—the government officials had no casualties, and only one man was badly injured, while many of the activists were wounded.
Mary reveals that two of the activists died for their ideals. Having far more resources and protective equipment, the U.S. government did not sustain any deaths. While the activists knew that victory against the powerful force of the U.S. military was not possible, they fought anyway, to hopefully ensure some political change, as well as to express their discontent and set a precedent of resistance for future generations.
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Frank Clearwater, a Cherokee man, arrived the day before the airdrop with his pregnant Apache wife, Morning Star. He was killed by a bullet that flew through the wall of the church, where he was resting. The activists immediately radioed to the government officials that one of their men had gotten badly wounded and needed immediate medical assistance. The government officials agreed to cease fire, only to start shooting as soon as the nurses—who were waving a white flag—tried to move Clearwater. It wasn't until later that evening when the activists managed to carry Clearwater down the hill to a federal helicopter. Clearwater died a few days later; his wife was arrested and jailed overnight.
Once again, the U.S. government reveals itself to be untrustworthy. In this instance, the activists received confirmation from the government officials that they would be able to get aid for a dying man, yet the officials broke their promise and fired at the nurses, preventing them from getting to Clearwater and giving him the medical attention he needed. The government officials' blocking medical aid from Clearwater illustrates their disregard of Native American lives. On top of this, the government jailed Clearwater's grieving, pregnant widow, which further emphasizes the cruelty of the U.S. government. Clearwater's death is another example of why Native Americans historically cannot trust the U.S. government to uphold its promises in negotiations.
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The other man who died during the siege was Buddy Lamont, an Oglala marine veteran. He was shot and killed instantly in crossfire. As in Clearwater's situation, the government officials didn't stop firing to allow medics to reach him. When relatives tried to leave Wounded Knee with Buddy's body, they were arrested. He was buried at Wounded Knee.
Again, the U.S. government reveals its cruelty and callousness toward Native American lives. Government officials continued to shoot at Buddy even though he was already down, instead of getting him medical attention after he first fell (they presumably wouldn't have known that he had been killed instantly). As in Clearwater's situation, Buddy's grieving family was jailed, once again showing the government's lack of concern for the humanity of Native Americans.
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