Pentagon Keeps Wounded Knee Medals, Hegseth Says

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On Sept. 26, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. Army soldiers who were awarded Medals of Honor for actions at the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre will retain those medals posthumously, rejecting calls from Native American leaders and some lawmakers to strip the awards. The announcement — made on social media and accompanied by a Pentagon panel finding the medals were "justly awarded" — follows a 2024 review ordered by then‑Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and counters pending congressional efforts to rescind the decorations.

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Hegseth says soldiers in Wounded Knee Massacre of Lakota will keep their medals

Axios by Russell Contreras September 26, 2025

New information:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the decision on Sept. 26, 2025 and said a panel concluded the medals were properly awarded.
The Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) resulted in roughly 250 Lakota deaths; 20 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were historically awarded the Medal of Honor for actions tied to the event.
Congressional lawmakers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jill Tokuda have proposed legislation to rescind those medals; the Oglala Sioux Tribe said it would issue a response.