ThinkProgress: Holocaust Museum May Be Built At Site Where US Army Murdered 300 Native Americans

5.2.17

Holocaust Museum May Be Built At Site Where US Army Murdered 300 Native Americans: [thinkprogress.org] The land has not offiially been bought, but people have already expressed their interest in Giago’s plan. Roughly one month ago, the 81-year-old founded the National Historic Site of Wounded Knee Inc., to collect donations for the final purchase.

When the land is officially in his possession, Giago believes a museum could be educational and economically beneficial for Rapid City, where 16 percent of the general population lives below the poverty line. Economic hardship is an even graver reality for Native Americans there, with 51 percent living in poverty. The Pine Ridge reservation has an unemployment rate of 70 percent.

“People in Germany, France and Italy probably know more about Indian country than people living here in America. Can you imagine a really beautiful Holocaust Museum and a big trade pavilion for Indian artisans and crafts people? They could set up booths year-round and sell their arts and crafts to the tourists,” he told Indian Country Today. “We would have tourists come from all over the world and stay in Rapid City, go to the restaurants and hotels, take buses to Wounded Knee. It would create over 200 jobs for the people down there. It would be also a boost financially to Rapid City, South Dakota.”