H.R. 165
Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site Act
In Plain Language
This bill transfers about 40 acres of land in South Dakota to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe as a memorial to the Wounded Knee Massacre. The tribes will own the land but won't be able to sell it or use it as collateral. The land must be kept as a sacred site under an agreement between the two tribes, and no businesses or gambling operations can be built there.
Official Congressional Research Service summary
Wounded Knee Massacre Memorial and Sacred Site ActThis act directs the Department of the Interior to complete all actions necessary to place approximately 40 acres of land in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, into restricted fee status for the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Restricted fee status refers to land that is owned by a tribe or tribal member but is subject to restrictions by the United States against alienation (i.e., sale or transfer) or encumbrance (e.g., liens, leases, or rights-of-way) by operation of law.The act requires the land to be held and maintained as a memorial and sacred site, as outlined by the document titled Covenant Between the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and dated October 21, 2022. Further, it prohibits commercial development and gaming activity on the land.
Cosponsors
None listed
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-61.
Dec 19, 2025
Official source
Action history
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