Wounded Knee is a sacred site to the Lakota Sioux and a historic site of national importance.
The Wounded Knee site passed from the Oglala into private hands through the process known as allotment, begun in the late 1800s, by which the federal government divided land among the Indians and gave other parcels to non-Indians.
The private owner of the Wounded Knee site, who has held title to the 40 acre plot since 1968, wants to sell it for $3.9 million. If the Oglala of Pine Ridge don't buy it by May 1, it will be sold at auction.
The federal government should halt the sale of the land, acquire it by the process of eminent domain, and create national monument.