But the land was already claimed by a people when the cowboy came and when the soldiers came
The story of the American Indian is in a lot of ways a story of tragedy
Like that day at Wounded Knee, South Dakota
Big Foot was an Indian chief
Of the Minneconjou band
A band of Minneconjou Sioux
From South Dakota land
Big Foot said to Custer
"Stay away from Crazy Horse."
But Custer crossed into Sioux land
And he never came back across
Then Big Foot led his people
To a place called Wounded Knee
And they found themselves surrounded
By the 7th Cavalry
Big chief Big Foot
Rise up from your bed
Minneconjou babies cry
For their mothers lying dead
Big Foot was down with a fever
When he reached Wounded Knee
And his people all were prisoners
Of the 7th Cavalry
Two hundred women and children
And another hundred men
Raised up a white flag of peace
But peace did not begin
An accidental gunshot
And Big Foot was first to die
And over the noise of the rifles
You could hear the babies cry
Big chief Big Foot
It's good that you can't see
Revenge is being wrought
By Custer's 7th Cavalry
Then smoke hung over the canyon
On that cold December day
All was death and dying
Around where Big Foot lay
Farther on up the canyon
Some had tried to run and hide
But death showed no favorites
Women, men, and children died
One side called it a "massacre,"
The other a "victory,"
But the white flag is still waving
Today at Wounded Knee
Big chief Big Foot
Your Minneconjou band
Is more than remembered here
In South Dakota land
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