Society

On the Trail to Wounded Knee: The Big Foot Memorial Ride

French photographer Guy Le Querrec captures the open plains of America on the trail of Wounded Knee

Guy Le Querrec

Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Third day of the journey. 20 miles from Bill Opp Ranch (Cheyenne River reservation), a few miles from Timber Lake to Green Grass. Packing up the camp. South Dakota, USA. December 17, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Third day of the journey. 20 miles from Bill Opp Ranch (Cheyenne River reservation), a few miles from Timber Lake to Green Grass. The riders rest after passing the Moreau River. South Dakota, USA. (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Third day of the journey. 20 miles from Bill Opp Ranch (Cheyenne River reservation), a few miles from Timber Lake to Green Grass. South Dakota, USA. December 17, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Fifth day of the journey, a 25 miles ride. From Green Grass staging point to Lloyd Jentzen Ranch, located 9 miles south of Lantry, on the Cheyenne River reservation. Riders form a prayer circle and (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Fourth day of the journey. A bald eagle, near Eagle Butte.Tuesday, December 18, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Fourth day of the journey. A rest-day at the Harry V Johnson Cultural center of Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River reservation. Dinner given in honor of the riders with participation of friends (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Fifth day of the journey. 25 miles from Green Grass staging point to Lloyd Jentzen Ranch, located 9 miles south of Lantry, on the Cheyenne River reservation. Half way. South Dakota, USA. December 1 (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Sixth day of the journey. 15 mile distance; traveling from Lloyd Jentzen Ranch, situated 9 miles south of Lantry, to Cherry Creek, on the Cheyenne River reservation. Thursday, December 20, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Seventh day of the journey.

25 mile distance; traveling from Cherry Creek to Bridger, on the Cheyenne River reservation. Friday, December 21, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot Seventh day of the journey. A 25 miles ride from Cherry Creek to Bridger, on the Cheyenne River reservation. Arrival at Bridger, in the frozen Cheyenne River bed. Around 3.00pm. Friday, 21 Dece (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot A 30 miles ride from Bridger (Cheyenne River reservation) to the North Fork of the Bad River, in Haakon county. The riders take a rest about 5/6 miles before their arrival. Around 4.00pm, Sunday, (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 11th day of the journey. A 32 miles ride through the Badlands National Park. From Big Foot Pass (Haakou County) to Red Water Creek Pine Ridge reservation. Big Foot Pass campsite, before the depa (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 11th day of the journey. A 32 miles ride through the Badlands National Park. From Big Foot Pass (Haakou County) to Red Water Creek Pine Ridge reservation. Crossing of the Big Foot Pass. South Dako (...)
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 11th day of the journey. 32 mile distance; from Big Foot Pass to Red Water Creek. The riders form a prayer circle upon arrival at the Red Water Creek campsite. Tuesday, December 25, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 13th day of the journey . 26 mile distance; from Red Water Creek to Red Owl Springs. The riders rest upon arrival at Kyle. Thursday, December 27, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 13th day of the journey. A 26 miles ride from Red Water Creek to Red Owl Springs in Pine Ridge reservation. Arrival at the Red Owl Springs campsite .Around 4.00pm, Thursday December 27, 1990. © Guy Le Querrec | Magnum Photos
Guy Le Querrec | Sur la Piste de Big Foot 14th day of the journey. 24 mile distance; from Red Owl Springs to the Wounded Knee Massacre site. Pow Wow at the Porcupine gymnasium following the initiative of Severt Young Bear ( l'AIM. American (...)

One hundred years after the Massacre at Wounded Knee, Sioux Lakota Indians trace the route of Chief Big Foot and their ancestors as they fled their reservation after the killing of Chief Sitting Bull by the U.S. Cavalry. The memorial ride, ‘Si Tanka Wokiksuye’, commemorates the journey in search of safety that ultimately ended in their slaughter at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. Chief Big Foot, 25 U.S. soldiers, and more than 250 Lakota men, women, and children were killed in the attack. The Massacre at Wounded Knee was the last of the American Indian wars.

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