The Ghost Dance: A Revitalization Movement

1. The Ghost Dance: A Revitalization Movement

2. What was the Ghost Dance? • A result of cultural stress, the Ghost Dance was a social movement or religious revitalization that promised an end to the white man and a return to cultural stability for the native peoples of the Western United States. • Dates: originated with the Paiute prophet “Wovoka” in approximately 1889 and was brought to the Great Plains soon after by two Oglala Sioux: Kicking Bear and Short Bull. Sarah Shaffer

3. Overview of the Ghost Dance • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNkvCD2cBcY&feature=related Sarah Shaffer

4. Revitalization Movements • Defined by anthropologist Anthony Wallace in his paper for the American Anthropologist Journal in 1956. • Revitalization movement: “a deliberate, organized, conscious effort by member of a society to construct a more satisfying culture.” • People involved in a revitalization movement must view their culture system as “unsatisfactory” or in trouble. • The goal of a revitalization movement is to “revitalize” a culture that is experiencing stress/ distress. • According to anthropologist Margaret Mead (1955,) culture systems can change within one generation and “the process by which transformation occur is the revitalization process.” Sarah Shaffer

5. 5 Stages of a Revitalization Movement: Steady State: cultural stability Period of Increased Individual Stress: such as “military defeat; political subordination; extreme pressure toward acculturation resulting in internal cultural conflict; economic distress; epidemics” etc. Period of Cultural Distortion: continued stress on the culture. Period of Revitalization: change occurs to uplift the culture such as a religious prophet who promises an end to cultural distortion. The New Steady State: cultural transformation has been accomplished and the new cultural system appears viable and sustainable. Theoretical Structure of a Revitalization Movement Sarah Shaffer

6. How the Ghost Dance fits into Wallace’s Revitalization Model • Steady State: Up until the 1860s the Lakota Sioux experienced “relative” cultural stability; thriving as a hunter/ gather society with complex social norms, kinship patterns, religion, etc. Sarah Shaffer

7. Ghost Dance and Wallace’s Model • Period of Increased Individual Stress: With gold discovered in the Black Hills, railroads, white settlers, depletion of the buffalo, etc. increased stress influenced the Lakota cultural system. • Period of Cultural Distortion: by the 1880s the Lakota fall into this category of cultural distortion. In 1876 all bands of the Sioux are required to live on the Great Sioux Reservation or would be considered hostile. Sarah Shaffer

8. Examples of Cultural Distortion Sarah Shaffer

9. Ghost Dance and Wallace’s Model • Period of Revitalization: Kicking Bear and Short Bull who visited the Paiute prophet Wovoka in 1890 brought The Ghost Dance movement to the Great Plains. The Ghost Dance Religion promised “a renewed world, the return to life of a nation of dead ancestors, and the return of the buffalo” (Jensen & Carter, 4.) Sarah Shaffer

10. Ghost Dance and Wallace’s Model • The New Steady State: The Ghost Dance transforms the Lakota who incorporate the religion into their cosmology. Sarah Shaffer

11. References Jensen, Richard E., R. Eli Paul and John E. Carter. (1991.) Eyewitness at Wounded Knee. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Mooney, James. (1896.) The Ghost Dance Religion and Wounded Knee. New York: Dover Publications. Utley, Robert M. (1963.) The Last Days of the Sioux Nation. New Haven: Yale University Press. Wallace, Anthony. (1956.) Revitalization Movements. American Anthropologist, Vol. 58, No. 2, pp. 264-281. www.youtube.com Sarah Shaffer

12. July 5, 1825 The Treaty with Sioune The United States agreed to take the Sioux Indians under their protection Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance Kristi Ruach

13. April 29, 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty The United States would reimburse the Indians for wrongs and loss of property and war between them would cease Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

14. February 29, 1877 Black Hills Act Congress confiscated the Black Hills portion of the 1868 Treaty Reservation without full consent Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

15. Fall, 1883 The last Sioux Buffalo Hunt took place Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

16. 1888 Indian Issue beef herds on the Sioux reservation were decimated by anthrax Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

17. January, 1889 Wovoka recovered from Scarlet Fever Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

18. March 2, 1889 Act of Congress Congress used fraud and coercion to acquire the necessary signatures to obtain an additional nine million acres of the 1868 treaty reservation by this method Also divided the 1868 treaty reservation into 6 smaller reservations Indians living on each reservation could not leave it without a pass from an Indian Agent Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

19. Remainder of 1889 US/Indian agreement The US agreed not to cut subsistence rations obligated under article 5 of the 1877 Black Hills Act if the Indians agreed to the 1889 act US went back on their word and cut the rations by 50% as soon as they had the necessary signatures This created famine and death on the Sioux reservations Grasshopper plagues and a terrible drought Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

20. Fall of 1889 and Spring of 1890 A Sioux delegation consisting of Kicking Bear, Short Bull, and others traveled to Nevada to see Wovoka and returned to teach the Ghost Dance to the Sioux Indians Major Events Leading up to The Ghost Dance continued… Kristi Ruach

21. Wovoka“Jack Wilson” 1856-1932 Cassie Pilgrim

22. “Wovoka” • Born a Paiute, in present day Esmerelda County, in Western Nevada • Father, unknown, but thought to be Tavibo • As a teen Wovoka’s father passed away, leaving him orphaned. • Raised by a rancher, David Wilson, and took on the name Jack Wilson Cassie Pilgrim

23. On the Ranch… • Believed to have become well known by both whites and Indians within the area • Learned to speak English and was exposed to Christianity • Continued to work on the ranch into his adult years Cassie Pilgrim

24. Creating the Ghost Dance • It is believed that the dance was started by weaving both Christian beliefs and theology into one religion • The Ghost Dance bore striking similarities to a dance created in the 1870’s by Tavibo • Tavibo’s earlier prophecy stated that whites would be swallowed by the earth. Wovoka stated that whites would vanish. • Was Tavibo Wovoka’s father? Cassie Pilgrim

25. The dance continued… • The belief was that salvation would come to those who danced and upheld good moral conduct. • Contrary to some belief many felt that Wovoka’s messages were infused with Christianity (the book of Revelation) • Wovoka called his followers in a message called “The Messiah Letter” Cassie Pilgrim

26. The Messiah Letter(Text: James Mooney, The Ghost-dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890, 14th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Part 2 (1896) • When you get home you must make a dance to continue five days. Dance four successive nights, and the last night keep us the dance until the morning of the fifth day, when all must bathe in the river and then disperse to their homes. You must all do in the same way.I, Jack Wilson, love you all, and my heart is full of gladness for the gifts you have brought me. When you get home I shall give you a good cloud [rain?] which will make you feel good. I give you a good spirit and give you all good paint. I want you to come again in three months, some from each tribe there [the Indian Territory].There will be a good deal of snow this year and some rain. In the fall there will be such a rain as I have never given you before.Grandfather [a universal title of reverence among Indians and here meaning the messiah] says, when your friends die you must not cry. You must not hurt anybody or do harm to anyone. You must not fight. Do right always. It will give you satisfaction in life. This young man has a good father and mother. [Possibly this refers to Casper Edson, the young Arapaho who wrote down this message of Wovoka for the delegation].Do not tell the white people about this. Jesus is now upon the earth. He appears like a cloud. The dead are still alive again. I do not know when they will be here; maybe this fall or in the spring. When the time comes there will be no more sickness and everyone will be young again.Do not refuse to work for the whites and do not make any trouble with them until you leave them. When the earth shakes [at the coming of the new world] do not be afraid. It will not hurt you.I want you to dance every six weeks. Make a feast at the dance and have food that everybody may eat. Then bathe in the water. That is all. You will receive good words again from me some time. Do not tell lies. Cassie Pilgrim

27. The Dance “It was unlike other Indian dances with fast steps and loud drumming. Participants joined hands and sidestepped leftward around a circle, following the course of the sun, while singing special songs about how Native American life would be restored to its former order and balance in a dance. It would be performed for four or five days and was accompanied by singing and chanting, but no drumming or other musical instruments. In addition, both men and women participated in the dance, unlike others in which men were the main dancers, singers, and musicians. Wovoka claimed that performing the dance would result in the return of the buffalo.” (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3775.html) Cassie Pilgrim

28. APPARELCeremonial Garments • Women-white cotton cloth, loose robe, with wide flowing sleeves • Men-shirt painted blue around v-cut. Garment was typically covered with “nature” items (birds, sun, moon, stars, 1 eagle). Feather hung from the sleeves. Cassie Pilgrim

29. Events that led to Wounded Knee • Ghost Dance Religion brought to Sioux Country • Government forbade the Sioux from taking part in the dance—some thought the movements were signals to start an uprising. • One of the NA interpreters lied to the soldiers and said that the Ghost Dance was a war dance. • Chief Big Foot accepted the religion and permitted dancing, but did not allow disorder or disrespect toward soldiers. His tribe headed toward Pine Ridge. Amber Gregg

30. Native Americans kept dancing to reap the benefits—white man would leave and buffalo would return • Government employees were brought closer to the Agency for protection • Government reduced clothing and food rations • Native Americans moved closer to the Agency to obtain rations when they were dispersed. • At this point both sides are suspicious. If the soldiers would have talked to the Missionaries, they would have understood the tribes movements. • The Sioux were hungry, angry, and worried, so their movements were not friendly. Amber Gregg

31. Government placed round-the-clock guards around the Agency. • Sitting Bull was killed, so tribal members became more suspicious • Chief Big Foot and his tribe were stopped and ordered to go directly to Wounded Knee • Soldiers ordered the Sioux to turn in their firearms; the order quickly changed and the soldiers searched tents to remove anything that might be a weapon—which included their knives needed to hunting. Amber Gregg

32. Who started the battle? Amber Gregg

33. Results: • 200-300 Native Americans died • 60 soldiers died • “Soldiers were too busy trying to find hidden Indian women and children to kill rather than render relief to their fallen foe.” • After the loss of many at Wounded Knee (1890), Wovoka lost followers and popularity. • Lived quietly as “Jack Wilson” until his death, believed to be around 1932 • While Wovoka was a leader of a different type, he gave people reason for hope at a time when tribes were losing their land, their languages, their identities and way of life.ﾊ His vision was not that the world would end, but that the dead Indian people would become alive again.-- (http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/indianed/teacher/lessons/Leaders/Wovoka.htm Amber Gregg

34. Sources • Jensen, Richard E., Paul, Eli R., Carter, John E.Eyewitness at Wounded Knee. University of Nebraska Press-1991. • Indian Education-Utah State Office of Education. www.schools.utah.gov/curr/indianed/teacher/lessons/Leaders/Wovoka.htm • New Perspectives on THE WEST. www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/wovoka.htm • Toledo, Robert A. Wovoka-The Paiute Messiah. http://www.viewzone.com/wovoka.html • History for Kids http://historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/religion/ghostdance.htm • Mooney, James, the Ghost-Dance Religion and the Sioux Outbreak of 1890, 14th Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Part 2 http://pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/eight/wkballad.htm • Gonzalez, Mario. The Politics of Hallowed Ground: Wounded Knee and the Struggle of Indian Sovereignty. 1999 • McGregor, J (1987).Wounded Knee Massacre, Rapid City, SD: Benwyn Press. Cassie Pilgrim and Amber Gregg