Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-13
THE GHOST DANCE
OF the Indians What 1t Means and Ho" 1t
il Conducted.

The ring is perhaps fifty feet in diane
/ ter. In the center stands the tall meul-
cine pole. adorned with the medicine
that Sitting Bull tells his ignorant lOl-
lowers has come straight from the
great spirit. IL makes no difference To
them that the medicine is merely
bits OF colored calico and wool. The
great spirit may choose what he pleaSeS'
surely. East Of the circle and separa-
ted from il by a few feet only IS the
medicine lodge Of the high priest.
Herein sits Sitting Bull to give the hn-
iShing touches 10 the costume oil the
dancers before they Join the sacred
circle. In the palm of his hand Is u
quantity OF light blue paint. lie tells
his people il is inexhauStible and was
brought TO his lodge in the night watch
by the Great Spirit. IL Is merely com
cideut that his son bought dollar :
worth of this same kind Of paint several
weeks before the dances began OF the
Indian trader at Standing Rock, but
this is neither here nor there. The
dancers file slowly mp 10 the medicine
lodge, after the red crosses have been
imprinted by the assistant priests, ana
then Sitting Bull grayely adds the Sa-
cred crescent on the chin and forehead
and all are ready for the dance.
Ii is high noon. The hands oil the
dancers are interlOcked, the four sub
priests are AT their respective stations
and they only await the sanction OF Sit
ting Bull To start on the long and wear
isome iCdniJi trdcipj, or ghost dance.
The tepeeS are deserted, and those In
dianS not intending 10 dance have form
ed "A half circle east of the ring and
SQuatted upon the ground intentl y
watching the mystic proceedings. sud
denly the high priest Of the Sioux APP
pears at the door of his medicine lodge
Respondent in his holy coat and crown
OF eagle feathers, and at that moment :
subdued chorus OF gutteral "ughS.
comes from the Threats OF
the bucks and SQuawS seat
cd on the prairie. But from the
sacred circle no sound is heard; every
dancer stands with head bent forward
and eyes riyeted on the bare earth.
With hands OutStretched above his head,
i'm the attitude Of a father blessing his
children. or minister invoking divine
aid. Sitting Bull walks SOlemnly and
maicstirally 10 the outer edge OF the
ring, mutterS few words IN Sioux, 50
low that my comrade fails to catch their
import. then claps his hands three
times. At this signal the head OF every
dancer is instantly raised, and now,wlth
neck thrown back, all gaze Steadfastly
As possible at the MONDAY sun. Again
the hands of the high priest clap thrice,
and this time the dancers are OIL, stu
retaining MISUNDERSTANDING attitude.
They circle 10 the left, slowly 1T first,
but in five minutes the pace accelerateS,
all are moving at fast dog trot. Again
the high priest mutterS few words,
and In response the dancers begin their
prayers TO the great spirit, which con-
tinue uninterrupted until shutdown.
From our position the chorus can be
hcard'qulte plainly,an mycomrade tran
states for my benefit. The tenor OF
their cry may be freely rendered as fol-
lows:
Father. father. We want 90 see YOU
Father father We want 90 smoke.
Father. father, are the buffalo coming:
Fnthrr. father. We want Co soc the buffalo.
Father father W. want YOU 20 examine US.
Father. father. W. want Co 20 to you.
Father. father. We want 90 throw on the white
Father, father. give Us our hunting grounds
again.
Father. father. why do you not come TO US:
Father. father leave Us not IN the hands OF the
Father. father. our hearts cry for you.
All this is delivered in a sort of wall
ING monotone that sounds like dirge
for the dying. Although | do not I'M
derstand the meaning Of their plant /
recognize the SupplicatinS cry OF hui
manity. and when the words are trans
lated the prayers of these poor, igno-
rant superStitiOuS SavageS come TO me
with a force that thrills me To my very
soul and stirS me to the center. seem
10 see their ever thinning ranks, their
miserable. degraded position aud their
unhappy present a contraSted with
their once prosperous past.
Father. father. our heart, cry Tor You
There is "a pathOS in the appeal that is
almost Sublime. AS the chorus changed
90 this OutburSt a wall arose from the
women that made me fairly Shiver as |
sat on my horse. No one who has ever
heard SQuaw cry can fully appreciate
the uncomfortable feeling evoked by
Instrumentation. Something approach
ing their cry of distress may be occa-
sionally heard At an Irish wake, where
the mOurnerS are in earnest and the
women are old. but even then they iall
short in their intensity OF expression.
Rachel weeping for her children would
have dried her tears and sat dumb at
al the feet OF these SQuawS,. for she would
have considered their grief far exceeded