The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-02-26
THE GHOST DANCE.
II Is Not New But wss Invented By
Captain Jack, the Modoc.


Captain Jack, the Brodoc.
People have been led to believe that
the ghost dance is original with the
Sioux" said an old frontiersman to a
Denver Republican man recently.
'"This is mistake. Captain Jack, Of
Modoc fame, is the Nestor of the ghost
dance, although 1t was not known then
by that name. The present Sioux
dance may have received a few extra
embellishments, but it is simply moth
ing more or less than the old Modoc
war dance.
Captain Jack, during the days of
peace preceding the Modoc war, at
tended dance given at a frontier tav-
ern, at which he was spectator, evil
IDENTIFY deeply interested. When he
went back to his tepee he was seized
with desire to introduce some new
features in the Modoc dances. So, after
consultation with few of his trusted
lieutenants, he inaugurated grand
circle dance. The Indians kept going
continuously to the left to the music of
tom-toms, dancing as they went with
wild disregard to musical precision, but
with great enthusiasm. Finally, Scar
Faced Charley tainted with exhaustion.
The dance was stopped. When he re-
gained his senses he graphically de-
scribed what wonderful vision he had
experienced. He had seen Wee Ma Katah,
the most powerful of early-day Modoc
chiefs, when the tribe was in the zenith
OF its glory. The spirit of the chief
told him that by killing the first three
white men who came into their reser-
walton all the land would be re-
stored to them and that all dead Modocs
would be brought to life. The story
made great impression on the Indians,
and the fate of General Candy and the
Peace Commission in 1878 tells how rig
idly the Modoc chiefs carried out the
spiritual suggestion.
"After the death of the commission
this same tribe held one of their circle
dances around their remains, and with
war-whoops and blood-thirsty hearts
started on the long campaign among
the lava beds, where they picked off
soldiers among the natural fortifca-
tions OF the region. have been in the
Bad Lands of Dakota, and 1t is indeed
equally as bad a country as the Oregon
lava beds. A dance among Indians is
always prelude to trouble. In 1878 it
was the circle dance. In 1890 it was the
ghost dance. 1t is as natural for an
Indian to use his feet and lungs before
going on the war-path as It is for fish
to swim. 1t is part Of their tradition.
Superstition to large extent pervades
the breasts of the Indians, and they
think that q war without the usual
dance preface would be 'hoodooed.'
"The Sioux are not, in my estimation,
the wiclxedest Indians to handle. They
are the most cowardly tribe on Amer
lean soil. The Blackfeet are the
meanest and the Modocs the bravest--
although every Indian believes in fight
ing In ambush. The Apaches are per-
haps the most numerous and merciless.
The Blackfeet Indians have CHASTITY
ceremony when they don war-paint.
They have q council Of war. Then
twelve squaws are huddled together
and chant . weird death song. The
Oldest warriors, aged and unfit for
further active campaigns, then draw
lots as to which will sacrifice his blood
and be martyr for the new campaign.
The one who draws the straw with a
spot of black paint in the center then
stabs himself In several places in the
presence of the tribe. As he falls the
blood gushes from his wounds. Into
this blood each warrior dips his finger,
emitting unearthly war-whoops as they
do 80. This is equivalent to an oath
that they swear by the blood of their
sacrificed comrade to be true to the
commands of their chiefs and fight to
the last.
"The Bannoclss at Ross Fork agency
are perhaps the best dressed Indians in
the country. They are the dudes Of the
Nation in that respect. Ordinarily an
Indian is slovenly, dirty and Indifferent
In his dress. The Brannoclrs, of Idaho,
however, take good care Of their
blankets and have more pride than the
usual run Of redskins. They are great
travellers also. They enjoy the priv
ilege Of free transportation on all the
Union Pacific trains, provided they ride
on freight cars or tho blind baggage.
They are so well behaved that the In
dian agent allows them leave of abb
sence whenever they wish to 60"