- Details
- By O.J. Semans, Sr.
Guest Opinion. Of all the massacres, domestic and foreign, carried out by the U.S. Military, the Medal of Honor was never awarded, with one exception: the Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29, 1890.
Presidents have used executive orders numerous times regarding military matters. On March 16, 1968, U.S. soldiers massacred Vietnamese men, women and children in the village of My Lai. The soldiers who participated in the massacre were led by Lt. William Calley. He was convicted on March 29, 1971, of the premeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians and sentenced to life imprisonment. President Richard Nixon later changed the sentence from prison to house arrest. In 1974, the Secretary of the Army pardoned Calley after he had served three-and-a-half years.
During President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration, his controversial executive orders granted clemency to 1st Lt. Clint Lorance after he was charged and convicted by a military court of killing two Afghan civilians. Trump also granted clemency to Maj. Mathew Golsteyn — who was charged with murdering an Afghan civilian detainee — before he even went to trial, circumventing the judicial system. Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher also benefited from a Trump executive order after he was convicted of fatally stabbing a prisoner in his custody and demoted. He was later restored to his rank and pay grade.
Given these precedents, President Joe Biden has the authority to revoke the Medals of Honor awarded to the soldiers who committed the Wounded Knee Massacre. President Biden has, in writing, supported the removal of the medals during his campaign in 2020. Support for removing the medals has also been publicly voiced by Vice President Kamala Harris, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. During the Tribal Nations Summit, Biden personally told Rosebud Sioux Tribal President Kathleen Wooden Knife he supported removing the medals.
President Biden, consider the history of U.S. presidents using executive orders in military actions. In the above noted cases, leniency was granted to individuals accused of murder and atrocities in foreign countries. We ask you to use your executive powers to right an egregious wrong: the massacre of Lakota men, women and children that was committed by U.S. military forces on U.S. soil.
President Biden, please keep your word. Remove the stain by removing the Medals of Honor awarded for the Massacre at Wounded Knee. Help the Lakota people heal. Help the United States regain its honor by acknowledging and denouncing this atrocity.
O.J. Semans, Sr. is co-founder and co-executive director of Four Directions, Inc., a Native American voting rights organization based on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. A member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Semans has testified before the National Commission on the Voting Rights Act and is a leading advocate for Native voting rights and social justice issues.
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher