The Ghost Dance Movement

Transcription

1 The Ghost Dance Movement The Ghost Dance was a spiritual movement started by Wovoka, a spiritual leader of the Paiute tribe in northern Nevada. Wovoka, who also went by the name of Jack Wilson, worked on the ranch of David Wilson, a devout Christian. Wovoka was inspired by the biblical stories he read while working for Wilson. Wovoka became ill with a high fever. At that time, he had a vision of the second coming of Christ. Wovoka believed that the Messiah s purpose in returning was to restore all that the Native Americans had lost. He believed that his ancestors would also return and they would all live as they had before. Wovoka understood that his purpose was to encourage all tribes to live in harmony. They were to love and help each other; and they were to live in peace with the settlers. If they followed these guidelines, they would meet their ancestors again, and live in a new world where there is no aging, illness or death. The ceremony was a blend of Christian ideas and their traditional ones. Wovoka described the Ghost Dance as a non-violent practice that he was given in his vision. By dancing at intervals of five consecutive days, they would hasten the return of freedom and happiness. They believed that all they had to do was dance and their ancestors and the buffalo would return in the spring. However, the white settlers in the area were cautious and alarmed by the dances. Some settlers fled to other areas in fear because the dances appeared to be a summons for war. Although the Ghost Dance Movement spread throughout, a few Sioux were reluctant to accept it as a sacred religious ceremony. Fear, sadness, anger, poor nutrition, and a lack of hope overwhelmed the Sioux. The United States government had confiscated their land, and stripped them of their lifestyle. They were driven from place to place, and imprisoned on reservations. However, had it not been for the catastrophic events at Wounded Knee all of them may have been converted.

2 Wounded Knee The United States government became more concerned about the Ghost Dance Movement at the Pine Ridge Reservation in Wounded Knee Creek was the location for the largest group of dancers among the Sioux. It was located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. The famous Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, was feared for his possible influence on the Ghost Dance Movement, and a possible war emerging. The aging chief considered himself to be a spiritual leader and a medicine man, although government officials considered him to be a warrior. Sitting Bull was killed by reservation police when they attempted to arrest him on December 15, Tensions mounted at the Pine Ridge Reservation; and Chief Big Foot and many of his followers had begun to accept the Ghost Dance Movement. Whites labeled them hostile and they believed that Chief Big Foot would wage war against whites. This was a misconception because Big Foot had less than four hundred people and two-thirds of them were women and children. The last major conflict between the Native Americans and the United States Calvary has become known as the Massacre at Wounded Knee. On December 29, 1890, orders were issued to the 7 th Calvary to transport the Sioux to a reservation in Omaha, Nebraska. Colonel James Forsyth served as the commander of the 7 th Calvary. The Calvary surrounded a group of Ghost Dancers and demanded that the Sioux surrender all of their weapons. Yellow Bird, the medicine man, encouraged the Lakota to keep their weapons. Yellow Bird told the Lakota men that he was given an assurance that the bullets could not penetrate their bodies. Chief Big Foot, also known as Spotted Elk, ordered his men to surrender their weapons. It is believed that a scuffle broke out between Black Coyote, who was deaf, and a soldier. The other Sioux wanted to explain to Black Coyote what was going on. He probably misunderstood Chief Big Foot s orders. Before they could explain it to him, a confrontation erupted. Soldiers attempted to come up behind him to take his weapon. Black Coyote, Chief Big Foot s nephew, was killed and the massacre began. Guns and canons were fired. Chief Big Foot was lying sick in his tent when he was killed. Men, women, and children were killed in a massacre that

3 lasted less than an hour. It was reported that more than 300 people were killed. About 150 Lakota are believed to have fled the massacre. However, many of them probably died from starvation and harsh weather. In fact, some members of the 7 th Calvary were reportedly killed in cross fires with their own soldiers (friendly fire). General Nelson A. Miles had an active role as the antagonist of the Plains Indians, including the Lakota. He was promoted to major general in He became the commander in charge of all operations designed to end the Ghost Dance. It was Miles position that all Indians ought to be under the control of the government and the Lakota should be controlled by the military. In January 1891, Colonel Forsyth was relieved of his duties and an inquiry into the massacre was ordered by General Nelson A. Miles. Miles active position against Forsyth may have the result of a feud that existed between the two men. Nevertheless, the only people that were allowed to testify were Forsyth and his officers. Each one stated that they took every precaution necessary to protect women and children. They even denied firing on each other. Forsyth and his officers were later cleared of all charges. Sources: Allen, C. W. & Jensen, R. E. (1997). From Fort Laramie to Wounded Knee: In the West That Was. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Coleman, William S. E. (2000).Voices of Wounded Knee. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Green, J & Lauderdale, J. V. (1996). After Wounded Knee. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press.

4 Newspaper Articles from 1890 About the Ghost Dance Movement

5 FROM: The Salt Lake Herald. (Salt Lake City) November 19, 1890 Acting Indian Commissioner Bells Opinion WASHINGTON Nov I8 - Acting Indian Commissioner Bell has received word from South Dakota which justifies the evident alarm of settlers in the setters tie neighborhood of Pine Ridge agency Bell is of the opinion that the government would not be justified in making any arrests or justified to suppress the ghost dances so long as the Indians commit no acts of violence. This would surely make trouble. The proper course to pursue is to let the Indians dance themselves out. It will not be long before they begin to lose faith in their Messiah and the whole craze will collapse. Bell, however, is strongly in favor of keeping a strong military force within call. This precaution is already taken and the government is not at all apprehensive of trouble at Pine Ridge.

6 FROM: The Salt Lake Herald. (Salt Lake City) , November 23, 1890 HEAP BIG SCARE An Eye Witness Describes the Ghost Dance RUMORS ARE VERY CONFLICTING Much of the Excitement Is Without Foundation The Messiah Craze This information was obtained today from Mrs. James A Finley wife of ex- Councilman Finley of this city now postmaster and post trader at Pine Ridge agency. Mrs. Finley left the agency days ago by direction of her husband who sent her here for safety. In an interview today describing the ghost dance, she said the dances had been in progress some time. The first she learned of them was last August when a crowd of Indians left the reservation to hold, as they said, a council and when the notice found them they were engaged in the dance. Since then they have been holding them regularly. One ghost dance that she saw was participated in by 480 Indians. In preparing for the dance she said they cut the tallest tree they can find and having dragged it to a level part of the prairie set it up in the ground. Under this tree four of the head men stand others form in a circle and begin to go around and around the tree. They begin the dance on Friday afternoon. It is kept up Saturday and Sunday until sun down. During all this time they do not eat or drink. They keep going round in one direction until they become so dizzy that they can scarcely stand then turn and go in the other direction and keep it up till they swoon from exhaustion. This is what they strive to do for while they are in a swoon they think they see and talk with the new Christ. When they regain consciousness they tell their experiences to the four wise men under the tree. All their tales end with the same story about the two mountains that are to belch forth mud and bury the white men and the return of good Indian times. They lose all of their senses in the dance. Some get down on all fours and bob about like buffalo When they cannot lose their senses from exhaustion they butt their heads together, boat them on the ground, and do anything to become insensible so that they may be ushered into the presence of the new Christ. At the end of the dance they have a grand feast the revel lasting all Sunday night. They kill several steers and cat them raw drink and gorge themselves to make up for their fast. At last Fridays dance one of the braves was to go into a trance and remain in this condition four days. At the close of this period he was to come to life as a buffalo.

7 FROM: Los Angeles Herald, November 23, 1890 WON'T STOP DANCING A Master of the Ghost Dance Writes an Insolent Letter Omaha, Nov. 22. A special to the Bee from Pine Ridge Agency says: Census enumerator Bee, who arrived this morning from a trip through the more distant portions of the reservation, is of the opinion that the ghost dances will result in trouble before many days. The settlers on the borders of the reservation, he says, are flying out. General Brooke is non-committal, but evidently much troubled. He thinks the crisis is not far away. Agent Royer received a communication from Little Wound, high priest of the dancers, in which the chief says he wants to know what the soldiers are coming for. The dance is a religious one, said he, and we are going to keep it up until spring. If we find the Christ does not appear we will stop, but not in the meantime, troops or no troops. He announced that he would start another dance at Medicine Root creek tomorrow morning. He said he had been informed that the soldiers would stop their rations. He does not care, he says, as what they get does not amount to anything, but if such is the case he wants to know, so his people won't have the trouble of going to the agency. He concluded with an emphatic reiteration that they would not stop dancing. Dr. Royer has not yet replied.

8 FROM: St. Paul Daily Globe. (Minn.) , December 25, 1890 CHRISTMAS GHOST DANCE Southern Indians Will Commemorate Christ's Birth Dec. 24. White Cloud. llalch-e-she and Running Deer, known as Gen. Grant, were in this city today. They came for the purpose of inviting some of their friends and their legal advisor, W. P. Thompson, to meet them nine miles east of this city to participate in what is commonly known as the ghost dance. The Iowas are entertaining many Indians from neighboring tribes, namely, the Kiekapoos, Ottoes, Sac, and Fox. Here are also representatives from the Cheyennes, Arapaoes, Creeks, and two messengers from the Sioux. The white visitors will do all in their power to allay so far as possible the Messiah craze. It is believed that they will have very little difficulty, as most of these tribes are friendly and of a civilized nature. The dance will commence on Christmas day, nine miles east of Guthrie. To most people a ghost dance means a preparation tor taking scalps. The territory Indians, however, are engaging in it simply as a commemoration of the birth of the Christ. -- FROM: Fort Worth Daily Gazette. (Tex.) , December 28, 1890 For the Gazette A good deal of curiosity is doubtless felt by many as to the meaning of the Indian ghost dance as to why Indians should express their feelings by dancing when civilized people would show their sentiments upon a solemn subject in a very different way. True dance among white Americans is a pastime; with the red man it is both a ceremony and a duty. He dances before he goes to war he dances when he returns ho dances at the death of his enemy and the burial of his friend. The Sioux youth dances or did dance through exquisite torture into a place among the braves of his clan and bears with him for life the marks of the terrible ordeal. It was the fortune to the writer when about eighteen years of age twenty-six years ago to witness the famous dance. It is doubtful that this dance will ever again be performed in all its ancient glory or perhaps horror would be a more fitting expression.

9 Newspaper Articles from 1890 About the Wounded Knee Massacre

10 FROM: The Evening Bulletin. (Maysville, Ky.) December 30, 1890 AN INDIAN BATTLE Big Foot's Band Entirely Wiped Out OVER FIFTY INDIANS KILLED Not One Left to Tell the Story Captain Wallace and Five Soldiers Killed and a Number of Others Wounded The Battle Lasted Over One Hour and A Half. Two Strike s Band Run Away from Pine Ridge and Are Being Pursued by the Soldiers. Pike Ridge Agency, South Dakota. Dec 30 - Couriers from the Bad Lands who have just arrived hero announce that a bloody and desperate conflict occurred yesterday morning on Porcupine creek between the United States troops and the hostile. The fight was precipitated by the troops under Col. Forsyth attempting to disarm Big Foot's band. Capt. Wallace, commanding K troop of the Seventh cavalry, was killed. Lieut. Garlington, of the Seventh regiment, was shot in both arms. Several soldiers and a number of Indians were also killed. Grave fears are entertained here for the safety of this post. The courier who brought this news of the conflict could only give the facts relating to the commencement of the fight. A second fight occurred near this agency yesterday afternoon. One of Col. Forsyth's troopers of the Seventh cavalry was fired on by some Indians who went out from the Rosebud camp, near Pine Ridge. This caused a skirmish, in which two soldiers were wounded. The Indians who were camped near where this skirmish took place moved west to a creek near the agency. Owing to the absence of the cavalry there is great trepidation here. Indian Scouts who have just come in say that but few of Big Foot's band are left alive.

11 Fort Worth Daily Gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) December 31, 1890 An Official Report Washington, Dec 30 - The commissioner of Indian affairs this morning received the following dispatch from Agent Reyer dated Pine Ridge Indian Agency December 29: On Wounded Knee creek this morning while the soldiers were disarming Big Foot and his band to surrender, a fight took place which resulted in the killing of about 300 Indians and several soldiers including Capt. Wallace with a number wounded. Two Strikes and his party, who were camped in the White Clay country just below Red Cloud's house, opened fire on the agency from the hill opposite the boarding school wounding two soldiers. The police returned the fire killing two of Two Strikes Indians and wounding two others. Two Strikes and his band retreated in a northwesterly direction from the agency and it is supposed be is trying to make his way back to the Bad Lands. Thus far, Pine Ridge Indians have taken no active part of the war but Big Foot, Slow Bear, Attacking Bear, and Two Strikes bands have been and are active in the disturbance.

12 The Record-Union. (Sacramento, Calif.) February 12, 1891 SERIOUS CHARGES MADE AGAINST THE TROOPS The Indians Accuse the Seventh Cavalry With Shooting Down Innocent Women, While They "Were Standing Under a Flag of Truce, and With Showing No Mercy to Little Boys. Washington-, Feb. 11 The Indian conference closed today and the Indians will start home on Friday. The feature of today's talk was the story of the fight at Wounded Knee. Turning Hawk said that at a given time, when the men had delivered up their guns, they were separated from their families and taken to a certain spot. A crazy man, a young man of bad influence, fired his gun, killing an officer. Other Indians began drawing knives, although they were exhorted from all sides to desist, and firing began immediately on the part of the soldier. All the men, who were in a bunch, were killed right there, and those who escaped that first fire got into a ravine, and as they went along the ravine for a long distance, they were pursued on all sides by soldiers and shot down. The women had no firearms to fight with. They were standing off at a different place, and when the firing began those of the men who escaped the first volley went in one direction up the ravine, and the women went in a different direction... but met the same fate as the men. American Horse said that when the firing began the people who were standing immediately around the young man who fired the first shot were killed, and then the soldiers turned their guns on the women who were in the lodges, standing there under the flag of truce... There was a woman with an infant in her arms killed as she almost touched the flag of truce. Right near the flag another was shot down. Her child, not knowing that its mother was dead, was still nursing, and that was a very sad sight. The women, as they were fleeing with babies on their backs, were killed together, and women heavy with child were also killed. After most of the Indians had been killed, a cry was made that all those not killed or wounded should come forth and they would be safe. Little boys who were not wounded came out of their places of refuge, and as soon as they came in sight a number of soldiers surrounded and butchered them. Commissioner Morgan said to the interpreter: "I wish you would say to him that those are very serious charges to make against the army. I do not want any statements that

13 are not absolutely true, and I want anyone here that feels that the statements are too strong, to correct them." Mr. Cook, pastor of the Episcopal Church at Pine Ridge Agency, among other things, said: Much has been said about the good spirit with which the members of the Seventh Cavalry went into that action. It has been said that a desire to avenge Custer s death was entirely absent from their mind. In coming toward Chicago, in company with General Miles, I talked with one of his own scouts... He told me that after he recovered from fright he succeeded in getting among the soldiers. After they all got in from killing the Indians, an officer of high rank he did not know who came to him and said: 'Now we have avenged Custer's death,' and this scout said to him, 'Yes, but you had every cause to fight for your lives that day.' These poor Indian people did not have that opportunity to protect and fight for themselves." After several others had spoken the Commissioner declared the conference at an end. The Sun. (New York) February 13, 1891, Page 6 Col. Forsyth Exonerated WASHINGTON, Feb 13 - The President and Secretary Proctor have sustained Col. Forsyth s management at the Wounded Knee engagement contrary to the advice of Gen Miles. The official order for the investigation directed that inquiry be made to ascertain whether the disposition made of the troops was judicious and such as should be made to prevent unnecessary destruction of life while disarming the Indians and whether the troops were so placed as to make their power most effective. In case of resistance also whether any non-combatants wore unnecessarily injured or destroyed. General Miles, in his endorsement of the record of the court of inquiry, says that the testimony elicited shows the following facts: First That Col. Forsyth had received repeated warnings as to the desperate and deceitful character of Big Foot s band of Indians and repeated orders as to the exercise of constant vigilance to guard against surprise or disaster under all circumstances. Second - That these warnings and orders were unheeded and disregarded by Col. Forsyth... Under these circumstances the apparent indifference and security of the

14 officer in command of the troops at Wounded Knee Creek is incomprehensible and inexcusable. Third - An examination of the accompanying map and testimony shows conclusively that at the beginning of the outbreak not a single company of the troop was so disposed as to deliver its fire upon the warriors without endangering the lives of some of their own comrades. The testimony goes to how that most of the troops were forced to withhold their fire leaving the brunt of the affair to fall upon two companies, until such warriors as had not been killed broke through or over powered the small force directly about them and reached the camp occupied by their women and children... Gen. Schofield submitted the case to the Secretary or War with the following endorsement: The interest of the military service do not in my judgment, demand any further proceedings in this case nor any longer continuance of Col. Forsyth s suspension from the command of his regiment. The evidence in these papers show that great care was taken by the officers and generally by the enlisted men to avoid unnecessary killing of Indian women and children in the affair at Wounded Knee and shows that the conduct of the Seventh Calvary under very trying circumstances was characterized by excellent discipline... There is little doubt that the first killing of women and children was by the first fire of the Indians themselves... Many of them, men and women, got on their ponies, and it is impossible to distinguish buck from squaw at a little distance when mounted. The men fired from among the women and children in their retreat. Major Whiteside emphatically declares that at least fifty shots were fired by the Indians before the troops retuned the fire... Major Kent and Capt. Baldwin concur in finding that evidence fails to establish that a single man of Col. Forsyth s command was killed or wounded by his fellows. Major- General commands that, in the interests of the military service, do not demand any further proceedings in this case. By direction of the President, Col. Forsyth will resume the command of his regiment.

15 Discussion Questions According to Wovoka, how did the Ghost Dance Movement start? What were some conflicting messages regarding the Ghost Dance? How important was dance to the Sioux? Explain how the ghost Dance blended Christian views with Indian traditions. How would you interpret Col. Forsyth s motivation for the Wounded Knee Battle? Explain how cultural differences are often misinterpreted, and the effects.

16 Writing Activity You are a settler near Wounded Knee Creek on November 23, Write an eyewitness account of the Sioux engaged in the Ghost Dance. Write an eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee Massacre from an Indian woman s point of view. The date is December 29, Write an eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee Massacre from Big Foot s point of view. Write an eyewitness account of the Wounded Knee Massacre from an interpreter or a soldier s point of view. A Christmas celebration was held in which the Ghost Dance was performed. General Grant was present. Write an account of the celebration from the standpoint of an invited non-indian guest. Write a press release on the events of Wounded Knee for a local newspaper on December 30, Opinions are excluded.