The Ghost Dance

It was New Year’s Day, and the year happened to be 1889.  To usher in the year properly there was a total solar eclipse across a part of the western United States as the moon crossed the line of sight between the earth and the sun.

Wovoka, a man of the Paiute Tribe in the Carson City, Nevada area, believed he had seen a vision during the eclipse.  In the future he envisioned all former dead Paiute warriors were rising from the ground to take up arms and return the Paiutes to their former glory days.  For this to happen all Paiutes had to live exemplary lives, and all had to learn a new dance.  He had envisioned the dance during the eclipse, and it was his mission to teach it to all other Paiutes, as well as any who might want to learn it from any other tribe.

As Wovoka’s vision portrayed it, all Ghost Dancers would wear shirts with magic symbols.  By leading good lives, dancing, and wearing the magic shirts all Indians would live as all white men would perish.  At the same time as the passing of the white men huge herds of game animals would arrive, and it would be for them as it was before the coming of the white men.

Word of the Ghost Dance spread among all tribes and representatives came from hundreds of miles away to learn the new dance.  Two of these were Kicking Bear and Short Bull of the Minneconjou branch of the Sioux Tribe.  After listening to the teachings of Wovoka they met with Sitting Bull of the Lakota Sioux who had them teach his band the new dance.

United States Army personnel were becoming fearful of thousands of Indians dancing through the nights while they beat drums.  It was decided to arrest Sitting Bull.  Sitting Bull was killed in the attempt.  Many of the leaderless Lakotas joined up with other Sioux bands including the Minneconjous led by Big Foot.  In December 1890 the Minneconjous were camped along a creek named Wounded Knee.  There were 120 men as well as 230 women and children in the encampment.  Some of these men had fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn 14 years previously where Custer’s men were annihilated.

There the United States Army confronted Big Foot to place him under arrest.  A one-sided battle broke out in which about 300 Indians were killed, men, women, and children.  The promise of the safety brought about by the Ghost Dance had proven to be a false prophesy.