Found at Wounded Knee

All people of the world born of the same father and mother,
When tragedy comes, it is better that all die together
Than die separately one by one.
The struggle was short, the muzzle pointed toward the east;
The gun discharged. Everybody was rolling and kicking.
He looked southeastward and did not know what to do.
He had only one knife. Even if he ate one of the soldiers
It would not appease his anger. The soldiers' shots sounded
Like fire crackers and hail in a storm down there.
Little infants lying there
Dead in their blood.

All people of the world born
Of the same father and mother. If he ate
One of the soldiers it would not appease his anger.
Everybody rolling and kicking on the ground.
He heard singing; his mother swinging
A soldier's revolver
"My son, pass by me; I am going to fall down now."

All people of the world born of the same
Father and mother, when tragedy comes, all die together.
His anger. His anger. His anger.
He did not care if he got killed,
For the infants were all dead now,
And he would like to die among the infants.
He looked southeastward and did not know
What to do. The struggle was short.
Now there went up a medley of death songs
Expressive of their wish to die;
A requiem for the dead.

All people of the world born of the same father and mother
When tragedy comes, it is better that all die together
Than die separately one by one.
The struggle was short; it would not appease his anger.
This child was nursing; its dead mother
Shot in the breast. It swallowed blood and from this vomited
And was never well, was always sick till it died.

—words taken from Iron Tail’s account of the massacre at Wounded Knee, as told through an interpreter. Iron Tail (also known as Dewey Beard) was the last Lakota survivor of both Custer and Wounded Knee. The original document can be found at the First Nations website.