The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-12-11
!THE GREAT GHOST DANCE.
Description Of the UneanHy ferpSIchO.
Fean CaperS Of Hostile Indians.
who the Indian Messiah IL and
How He Came 90 be fOunds.
He Talks Of His Mission
on Earth.


Cheyennes, began to hear rumors Of Q
great Indian prophet who was preaching
Q new religion. Inquiry developed the
fact that this prophet lived further west,
and q few intelligent and curious ones
undertook pilgrimage westward to lind
the prophet and learn about his religion.
At last they succeeded in reaching him,
the preacher proving to be q Pah-Ute
known as John johnson, living near
Walker lake, in southwestern Nevada.
Pah-U Ute John is known by the whites in
that vicinity as q very intelligent and
peaceable Indian, though uneducated.
The Pah-Utes are not now nearly 30
numerous as they were during pioneer
times, when they were very troublesome
to the immigrants. They range through
out the state Of Nevada and q little across
the line into adjoining states. Bands Of
them are gathered upon several reserva-
tions, but for the most part they live in
the various valleys, q few families to-
gether, and do much work on the ranches
and stock ranges. They are fine looking
Indians, some Of them being Of quite q
light shade Of skin. OF this kind is the
prophet or Messiah.
One Of the Indian pilgrims, obey
enne, named Porcupine, thus relates the
teachings Of the Messiah:
81 heard that Christ had been crucifed,
and l saw a scar on this mans wrist and
on his face. Next evening we assembled
again. He sung, then trembled violently,
and then lay down apparently dead,
while we danced all night. Next morn
ing he sat down among us and talked
with US, saying: 4 am the man who
made everything you see around you.. /
have been to heaven and seen your dead
friends, and have seen my own dead
father and mother. In the beginning,
after God made the earth, they sent me
back TO teach the people, but The people
were afraid Of me and treated me badly.
This is what they did to me Showing his
scars.) l found my children were bad.
So went back to heaven and left them.
l told them that in 90 many hundred
years l would come back to see them.
My father told me the earth was getting
old and worn out and the people were
getting bad and that I waste renew every
thing a. it used to be and make II better.
The Christ said that all dead were to be
resurrected; that they were all to come
back TO earth, and that was too small
now. He would do away with heaven
and make earth itself enough to contain
all. He spoke to us about fighting, and
said that was bad and that we must keep
from it; that the earth was 10 be all good
hereafter; that we must be friends with
one another. He told us not to quarrel
or strike or fight or shoot one another;
that the whites and indians were to be
all one people. He said that II any man
disobeyed what he ordered his tribe would
be wiped from the face Of the earth. We
must believe everything he said, and he
would know our thoughts and actions, no
mater IN "n"' P"r' VI '"e "Or'u We
might De-
Porcupine was very much impressed
with the man and his teachings, and re-
turned home to spread the new gospel Of
peace among his people. Here is an ex-
ample of how that which Is intended for
good purposes can be distorted into evil.
Disafected chiefs among the tribes men
toned saw In this new religion an opPor-
tunity to create new hostility towards the
whites. They constituted themselves
forerunners-sort OF John-the-B -Baptists-
Of the Messiah, and began to preach that
he would soon come and help them to
drive out the whites and regain posses
sion Of their old hunting grounds, over
which the buffalo and antelope would
again roam in countless Thousands. The
prophets religion Is really one Of peace,
but these preachers made II one Of war;
and as the Indians had no opportunity to
see or hear the Messiah himself, they
gave in their adherence to the perverted
doctrine preached 10 them. gf
Rumors Of what was going on, and Of
trouble brewing, came nom Wyoming,
Dakota and Indian territory at intervals