During the cold of winter in late February 1973, UPI dispatched me to the village of Wounded Knee, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Reservation. A heavily armed radical group of Native Americans, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), began an occupation of Wounded Knee. AIM stormed Wounded Knee after they had attempted to impeach the elected tribal president, Richard Wilson, whom they accused of corruption and abuse of opponents. They also protested the U.S. government’s failure to fulfill treaties with Indian peoples and demanded the reopening of treaty negotiations. They were prepared for a fight when the U.S. military and government officers, including the FBI, surrounded Wounded Knee.

The government cut off the electricity to Wounded Knee and attempted to keep all food supplies from entering the area. For 71 days, the men and women in Wounded Knee lived on minimal resources during their standoff with the federal forces.

Without lodging on the reservation, I secured a spot on a concrete floor in a Pine Ridge Catholic Church’s basement, where I could spread my sleeping bag. But more important than where I would sleep was a need for a makeshift darkroom with water, electricity and a telephone. The priest was gracious and hospitable. He showed me the basement. It was dark and dingy. However, in this house of God, I was provided for. It had a small kitchen and bathroom and, lo and behold, a telephone that sometimes worked. The church was only a short drive from Wounded Knee.