Actor Johnny Depp has plans to buy land at the site of the Wounded Knee massacre in South Dakota and give it back to the Oglala Sioux Tribe, a tribal official said Wednesday.  Following is the story that was posted on the Journalstar website

"He would like to make that offer if we’re willing,”  President Bryan Brewer said. "This is a great thing that is happening.”

Brewer said he got a call Wednesday from a representative for Depp, who is in England, telling him the actor wanted to make an offer on a 40-acre piece of the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Land owner James Czywczynski has said he wants $4.9 million for the land, where soldiers from the Seventh Cavalry killed 300 Lakota men, women and children in 1890.

Brewer said the tribe’s leaders must decide whether they want Depp to make the offer, considering it means paying far more for the land than they say it's worth. The land has been appraised at less than $14,000.

Tribal leaders and Depp’s representatives plan to discuss the offer in the coming days.

I think that it is very admirable that Mr. Depp wants to purchase the land for the Oglala Souix.  I was a small girl during the Wounded Knee Incident (not to be confused with the massacre) in 1973. I grew up near the Standing Rock Reservation in northern South Dakota and southern North Dakota.  The sixth largest reservation in the United States. Pine Ridge was located south of the badlands of South Dakota.  The entire state felt nervous and tense during this incident.  I remember being afraid a lot during that time. Again, I was still young and didn't understand what was going on. I just knew that I felt the tension in my small hometown of Lemmon, SD.

I find Mr. Czywczynski's request of $4.9 million absolutely absurd. I understand that a land owner should be compensated for fair market value, maybe a little more, for land that he possesses. But I think this is actually obnoxious that he would request such a large amount. Mr. Depp is willing to give him $3.9 million for 40 acres of land that probably wouldn't sustain 5 grazing cattle and he is asking $4.9 million?  I have some very descriptive words for someone like Mr. Czywczynski but my mother raised me to believe that "if you don't have something nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all."

I wonder if we could get Mr. Depp interested in helping us #SaveLonghornMountain?  If you would like to sign our petition to save the mountain, you can access it HERE! http://bit.ly/SaveLonghornMountain

More From 1073 Popcrush