UNDERSTANDING UNDERSTANDING THE GHOST DANCE: THE GHOST DANCE:

PRAYER FOR AN NEW PRAYER FOR AN NEW WAYWAY

Black ElkBlack Elk(1863-1950)(1863-1950)

“I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people’s dream died there. It was a beautiful dream... The nation’s hoop is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead.”

Black Elk

Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa) was a famous Wichasha Wakan (Holy Man) of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) who participated at the age of twelve in the Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) and was wounded in the Wounded Knee massacre in 1890.

Ghost Dance WebsitesGhost Dance Websites http://php.indiana.edu/~tkavanag/visual5.htmlhttp://php.indiana.edu/~tkavanag/visual5.html

James Mooney’s Account and PhotographsJames Mooney’s Account and Photographs http://msnbc.com/onair/msnbc/TimeAndAgain/http://msnbc.com/onair/msnbc/TimeAndAgain/

archive/wknee/ghost.asp?cp1=1archive/wknee/ghost.asp?cp1=1Connecting the Events of 1890 and 1973Connecting the Events of 1890 and 1973

http://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/r519.htmhttp://www.150.si.edu/150trav/remember/r519.htm Ghost Shirt, National Museum of the American IndianGhost Shirt, National Museum of the American Indian

http://www.dickshovel.com/wkup.htmlhttp://www.dickshovel.com/wkup.html Chronology of Events before Wounded Knee Chronology of Events before Wounded Knee MassacreMassacre

http://www.sdpb.org/tv/oto/lostbird/http://www.sdpb.org/tv/oto/lostbird/ Story of Lost BirdStory of Lost Bird

The Paiute Prophet Wovoka The Paiute Prophet Wovoka

(Jack Wilson)(Jack Wilson)1856-19321856-1932

" I want my people to stay with me here. All the dead men will come to life again. Their spirits will come to

their bodies again. We must wait here in the homes of our fathers and be ready to meet them in the bosom of

our mother. "-Wovoka, Paiute Prophet

Origins of the Ghost Origins of the Ghost DanceDance

The Ghost Dance religion began with Wovoka's The Ghost Dance religion began with Wovoka's Great Revelation. On New Year's Day 1889, Great Revelation. On New Year's Day 1889, Wovoka had a religious revelation wherein he Wovoka had a religious revelation wherein he "died" and went to heaven. "died" and went to heaven.

God gave him a dance and a message of peace God gave him a dance and a message of peace to share with all people. He was to stress to share with all people. He was to stress brotherhood among all Indian people, and brotherhood among all Indian people, and between the Indian and White. between the Indian and White.

Wovoka proclaimed his stirring message and Wovoka proclaimed his stirring message and taught his people the Ghost Dance, a round taught his people the Ghost Dance, a round dance that lasted for five nights. Men and dance that lasted for five nights. Men and women, their fingers intertwined, shuffled women, their fingers intertwined, shuffled sideways around a fire, dancing to the songs sideways around a fire, dancing to the songs that Wovoka led. that Wovoka led.

Geographical Extent of the Geographical Extent of the Ghost DanceGhost Dance

The Ghost DanceThe Ghost DanceDrawings and Photographs by Drawings and Photographs by Anthropologist James MooneyAnthropologist James Mooney

Ghost Dance ShirtsGhost Dance Shirts

Sitting BullSitting Bull 1831 – December 15, 1890

Sioux Medicine Man who led 1,200 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors against the US 7th Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25th, 1876. Though he did not participate personally in the battle, the chiefs were spurred on by a dream that Sitting Bull had in which a group of American soldiers tumbled into his encampment.

TimelineTimeline The once proud Sioux found their free-roaming life destroyed, the buffalo The once proud Sioux found their free-roaming life destroyed, the buffalo

gone, themselves confined to reservations dependent on Indian Agents gone, themselves confined to reservations dependent on Indian Agents for their existence. for their existence.

The Sioux version of the Ghost Dance differed from that of Wovoka and The Sioux version of the Ghost Dance differed from that of Wovoka and other Plains groups; Sioux believed that a tidal wave of new soil would other Plains groups; Sioux believed that a tidal wave of new soil would cover the earth, bury the whites, and restore the prairie and the buffalo. cover the earth, bury the whites, and restore the prairie and the buffalo.

In a desperate attempt to return to the days of their glory, many believed In a desperate attempt to return to the days of their glory, many believed that the Ghost Dance would hasten salvation. Many dancers wore that the Ghost Dance would hasten salvation. Many dancers wore brightly colored shirts emblazoned with images of eagles and buffaloes. brightly colored shirts emblazoned with images of eagles and buffaloes.

These "Ghost Shirts" they believed would protect them from the These "Ghost Shirts" they believed would protect them from the bluecoats' bullets. During the fall of 1890, the Ghost Dance spread bluecoats' bullets. During the fall of 1890, the Ghost Dance spread through the Sioux villages of the Dakota reservations, revitalizing the through the Sioux villages of the Dakota reservations, revitalizing the Indians and bringing fear to the whites. Indians and bringing fear to the whites.

A desperate Indian Agent at Pine Ridge wired his superiors in A desperate Indian Agent at Pine Ridge wired his superiors in Washington, "Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and Washington, "Indians are dancing in the snow and are wild and crazy....We need protection and we need it now. The leaders should be crazy....We need protection and we need it now. The leaders should be arrested and confined at some military post until the matter is quieted, arrested and confined at some military post until the matter is quieted, and this should be done now." and this should be done now."

The order went out to arrest Chief Sitting Bull at the Standing Rock The order went out to arrest Chief Sitting Bull at the Standing Rock Reservation. Sitting Bull was killed in the attempt on December 15. Reservation. Sitting Bull was killed in the attempt on December 15.

Chief Big Foot was next on the list. Chief Big Foot was next on the list.

TimelineTimeline http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/http://www.hanksville.org/daniel/

timeline2.htmltimeline2.html

1890 - The Ghost Dance religion sweeps across the Sioux reservation.

Sitting Bull is killed on December 15. On December 29, Big Foot's band of Minneconjous, trying to reach Pine Ridge and the protection of Red Cloud after hearing of Sitting Bull's death, are massacred at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29 by Custer's old outfit, the Seventh Cavalry.

Big Foot as a young man and dead at Wounded Knee

A SurvivorA SurvivorLost Bird (1890-1920)Lost Bird (1890-1920)

Lost Bird was adopted by Gen. Leonard Colby and his suffragist wife, Clara Bewick Colby. The baby’s original name died at Wounded Knee, along with her chance to grow up in her own culture. She became. literally and figuratively, Zintkala Nuni, the Lost Bird.

To support herself she toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

Wounded Knee TodayWounded Knee Today

Re-interment of Lost Bird’s remains at Pine Ridge Reservation

ReligionReligionRitual:Ritual: Standardized activities that honor and Standardized activities that honor and

influence deity.influence deity. ““A collection of rituals, organized to reflect a A collection of rituals, organized to reflect a

cosmology, that mobilizes supernatural cosmology, that mobilizes supernatural powers for the purpose of achieving or powers for the purpose of achieving or preventing transformations of preventing transformations of circumstances.”circumstances.”

Belief: Belief: Personal cosmology, symbolic Personal cosmology, symbolic behavior, and guiding principles.behavior, and guiding principles.

““A set of symbolic forms and acts which A set of symbolic forms and acts which relate humans to the ultimate conditions of relate humans to the ultimate conditions of their existence.”their existence.”

Role of ReligionRole of Religion reduces anxiety by explaining the reduces anxiety by explaining the

unknownunknown provides comfort by assuring provides comfort by assuring

supernatural aidsupernatural aid provides a framework of right and wrongprovides a framework of right and wrong sets standards for acceptable behaviorsets standards for acceptable behavior shifts burden of decision making from shifts burden of decision making from

individuals to supernatural powersindividuals to supernatural powers helps maintain social solidarityhelps maintain social solidarity

Ritual SpecialistsRitual Specialists Those who perform Those who perform

religious activities religious activities (performances, (performances, offerings) on offerings) on behalf of a group.behalf of a group.

Orthodox Priests

Rabbi

Mapuche (Argentina) ritual specialist

Indonesian ritual specialist

Revitalization MovementRevitalization Movement Deliberate, conscious, organized efforts Deliberate, conscious, organized efforts

by members of a society to create a more by members of a society to create a more satisfying culture. satisfying culture.

Characterized by:Characterized by: a remembered time of calm and a remembered time of calm and

prosperityprosperity a period of collective stress, followed bya period of collective stress, followed by a period of revitalization and a period of revitalization and

transformation, leading to transformation, leading to a new understanding and accommodation a new understanding and accommodation

of conditionsof conditions

Characteristics of Characteristics of Revitalization MovementsRevitalization Movements

hopelessnesshopelessness, dire circumstances and , dire circumstances and degraded conditions, no recourse to degraded conditions, no recourse to ordinary channels (ex: legal, social)ordinary channels (ex: legal, social)

charismatic leadercharismatic leader (in contact with (in contact with supernatural forces) who has a vision supernatural forces) who has a vision through anthrough an

altered state of consciousnessaltered state of consciousness (trance (trance through stimulants, fatigue, etc)through stimulants, fatigue, etc)

mazeway reformulationmazeway reformulation (“born again” (“born again” experience, see the world with new eyes)experience, see the world with new eyes)

SyncretismSyncretismthe blending the blending of indigenous of indigenous and foreign and foreign symbols, symbols, rituals, and rituals, and other traits to other traits to form a new form a new system.system.

Ghost Dance Dress, Arapaho peoples, central plains states, about A.D. 1890

Design Elements: Catholic priest, stars and colors from the American flag, the turtle who brought soil for the World’s creation, and birds, messengers to the spirit world.

Other Historic Other Historic Revitalization MovementsRevitalization Movements

JudaismJudaism was created during the Exodus crisis when the Jews had to form was created during the Exodus crisis when the Jews had to form their society anew after the flight form Egypt and Moses brought down the their society anew after the flight form Egypt and Moses brought down the new vision from the mountain in the form of the ten commandments.new vision from the mountain in the form of the ten commandments.

ChristianityChristianity evolved in the context of Roman oppression of the Jews, with evolved in the context of Roman oppression of the Jews, with Christ as the charismatic leader who reformulated Judaism into the Christ as the charismatic leader who reformulated Judaism into the Christian philosophy.Christian philosophy.

Islam Islam was formulated by Mohammed with elements from Judaism, was formulated by Mohammed with elements from Judaism, Christianity, and the older pantheistic religion of the Arabian peninsula Christianity, and the older pantheistic religion of the Arabian peninsula (represented by the sacred site of the Kabba).(represented by the sacred site of the Kabba).

BuddhismBuddhism was formulated out of Hinduism by the charismatic leader, the was formulated out of Hinduism by the charismatic leader, the Buddha.Buddha.

People with different mazeways can find it almost People with different mazeways can find it almost impossible to communicate, so impossible to communicate, so violent intercultural violent intercultural conflictconflict is often a feature of revitalization movements is often a feature of revitalization movements and emerging religions.and emerging religions.

The Role of StressThe Role of Stress At individual level (manifestations of malaise,

underlying causes) At group/societal level, when way of seeing the world

“mazeway” (system of economics, values, etc) falters due to:

marginalization from larger society severe privation (food, shelter, etc) loss of hope for more mundane solution to problems leads to family dysfunction and societal dysfunction forms of resistance “weapons of the weak” such as work slowdowns,

‘mistakes’

Larger society’s response: voluntary or forced acculturation (taking up characteristics of

mainstream society) assimilation (indistinguishability from larger society) annhiliation (complete eradication of group, “ethnic cleansing”)

Contemporary Contemporary Revitalization MovementsRevitalization Movements

FundamentalismFundamentalism Islamic JihadIslamic Jihad Charismatic Charismatic

ChristianityChristianity Charismatic Christianity among the Roma (Romania)

Contemporary Social Contemporary Social MovementsMovements

Peace and Peace and JusticeJustice

EnvironmentEnvironment

How do they How do they differ from differ from Revitalization Revitalization Movements?Movements?

Examples: