Rebuilding the Voices of Wounded Knee Research Archive

Today I began a major overhaul of the Voices of Wounded Knee Research Archive.

The original site grew gradually as I added family histories, photographs, records, research notes, beadwork, public claims, and documentation connected to Chief Spotted Elk and his extended family. Over time, however, the website builder became too limiting for the amount and complexity of the material being preserved. The blog did not integrate properly, the forms were unreliable, and organizing large numbers of images and records became increasingly difficult.

Rather than continue working around those limitations, I decided to rebuild the archive using software I’m better familiar with.

The new site will bring the research archive, family pages, historical records, StoryMaps, blog articles, forms, and creative work together in one place. It will also make it easier to organize photographs, cite sources, publish corrections, create family-access areas, and receive information from descendants.

The new navigation reflects that broader purpose:

• 7 Generations will focus on our direct family line, family connections, and StoryMaps.
• Native Rights & Living History will address treaty rights, land, repatriation, MMIW/MMIP, assimilation, and continuing issues affecting Native communities.
• For the Record will examine public lineage claims, conflicting records, documented corrections, and frequently asked questions.
• Our Work will include research, preservation, education, community projects, and beadwork.
• The Blog will share new discoveries, archive updates, articles, and ongoing research.

This is more than a visual redesign. It is an effort to make the archive clearer, more useful, and easier for families to navigate.

The site will remain a living archive. Names, relationships, identifications, and interpretations may be updated as new records emerge and descendants contribute additional knowledge. Some research will remain private or available only through family or research access, while selected records will be published for historical education and documentation.

There is still a great deal of work ahead, but the foundation is now being rebuilt carefully and intentionally.

I look forward to sharing the new archive and inviting descendants to review the family histories, photographs, records, and connections represented here.

— MW
August 2, 2026