The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-26
To Engulf the World as Did
the Waters Of the
Flood.
The Indians OF Perfect Faith to
Be Preserved a. Was
Noah.
Weird and Fantastic Initiation Of Particle
pants In the Ghost Danoe-Dsliriuun
and Rsvelatien.

BlsafAAcK, N. D., Nov. &.-[Special. l.
The religion which Affects tho Standing
Rock Indians 10 Of very peculiar nature
aud has the effect Of keeping them ON an
inoeaDant wild dance day and night. They
are ill dancing ~ though their lives de-
pend ON keeping it up until next spring.
For over year this new religion has been
growing among these Indians until it has
finally taken full possession Of them. The
principal feature of this new creed is the
coming Of an Indian messiah who will give
the Indians domain over the entire earth.
According to the Indians this metamorpho-
sis il to be accomplished by huge wave of
mud which will envelope the world, de-
stro4ing all the whites. The Indians will
escaDs the mighty wrath a. will also their
poni1es providing the latter are decorated
with eagle feathers In their tails. In
consequence Of this prediction all ponies
belonging to messiah-a6eoted redskins
have eagle feathers sticking In their tails.
II is ludicrous sight. Then the buffalo
shall return and with other things that
make q savage heart happy. The principal
ceremony 10 the gnost dance, weird, fam
tastic proRr6m ingeniously arranged to pro-
duce dizziness so violent that 1t results
invariably in delirium. Faith is essential.
Before entering the dance the candidate
apends few hours In the sweat tepee, an
almost air-tight enclosure, which he enters
stark naked. some red-hot stones are
then rolled In, upon Whitewater is poured.
making the hottest kind Of steam. few
hours of this completes his publication and
all his sins are washed away. Now, IL he
still have faith enough. he may enter the
uncanny dance and by various contortions
be transported to happy hunting grounds to
hold communion with the messiah; or il he
prefers he can interview the spirit Of any
has not perfect faith in the mode Of wor-
ship he is told that the
minute he joins the dance the messiah
will strike him dead with lightning.
The Indians, being generally superstitious,
mona Of the skeptical are. brave enough to
tempt destruction BY going into the dancs.
Whe1S N tho dAnce they have frm belief
that their desire to visit the celestial regs
ions will be Rratified. They move around
in circle, keeping their eyes riveted on re-
volvinR wands and other devices designed
to produce giddiness, and az they have
been kept long without food prior to their
initiation. they soon lose all reason and
fall on the ground in oonvulsions. When
they recover the indistinct memories Of the
vaRaries of their delirium convince them
that they really had wonderful spiritual
experience and are satisfied that the truth.
power and reality Of the new faith have
been demonstrated to them clearly. The
Standing Rock Indians do not prophesy
the coming of the messiah until next June.
This religion has q wonderful hold upon
the men, women and children, and the ef-
feet is demoralixinR. Discipline is de-
stroyed. civilized customs are abandoned
and the tendency il to general state Of
disorder.