The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-08
THE MESSIAH CRAZE.
How it Originated and How Communi-
Gated from Tribe to Tribe.

| LII hENC, ga, oIdlSA - 90
To the Editor Of the Eagle.
Early in the spring OF the last gone
year the news was brought to the Chey
ennes and Arapahoes through wander
ing Sioux, Of messenger from the Grea
Chief, whom they tell to the white mar
is the big chief medicine man. This
messenger they were told was among the
Siouxs In Dakota. The Cheyennes held
a council and sent one Waushee and the
Arapahoes sent Black Coyote to bring
to them tidings Of the Chisus, who wa:
supposed to be up in the Bad Lands.
These two men were required to fast fol
certain time and they must not travel
as white man would, but must make
the whole distance either on ponies or a
foot. Upon their return many Indians
from neighboring tribes came up to hear
the news they brought.
This gathering of the tribes was at
| Fort Reno, in the Oklahoma country,
| during last June. There were probably
fifteen hundred in the big camp; besides
the home tribes, were represented the
Kiowas, Comanches, Apaches, Caddos,
Delawares and others. In the large circle
dame there were oftentimes as many as
| 800 bucks and squaws, and many OF the
squaws had pappooses strapped on their
bucks. In this circle all Joined hands
and crowed slightly against each other
slow side step to the left. The only mu-
sic was the slow chanting of an invoca-
ton in the Arapahoe language. This in
H. H. I'll
Coyote, and those, even of other
tribes would catch the sound
and repeat phrase over
and over again without knowing the
meaning of the words.
Waushee on his return had claimed
that he could give no news of Chisus
Oesus), but Black Coyote had long
story to tell Of his interview with this
prophet, the true inwardness of this
story, no white man could ever get an
exact Interpretation of. The gist of it
was that before very long there would
be great rain of mud in which all of
the whites would be smothered, and that
after the rain, those whites would come
to life as buffaloes, and that the Indians,
even those dead many years gone by,
would live again, control the country
and have plenty. This dance in June
lasted week or more, and then for a
a while the subject seemed to
quiet down. Though so very
many Indians were gathered together
one could not help noticing what good
order and decorum. I had almost said
these so-called savages kept among each
other no excitement was shown in these
dances last summer except the deep feel
ing of distress as shown IN the chanting
of the death wall at shutdown. I had
failed to say that the doctrine set forth
by the new prophet was that the Indians
must be good, obey the Ayrin and treat
the white man well, learning the future
punishment of the white man, and that
punishment would be speedy to the
Great Spirit.
The seed of the new religion sown last
summer has taken root and grown
deeply into the hearts of these people and
now, in these dances, they do she the
deepest feeling and earnestness and the
trance-like state into which many of
them are thrown is evidently not af-
fected. 1t is not through spoken lam
guage that this message of the supposed
prophet goes from tribe to
tribe, for the languages of the tribes
have no similarity, but through
the Interpretation through the sign Ian
signs being made with the
hands. This mode of communication is
among all the blanket tribes of
the southwest. 1t is to these tribes as is
Chinook to those of the northwest and
the Volopuk to the people of the No
where. 1t is a wonderful mode of COM
of thoughts and ideas.
1t would be well if a brief description |
Of these now celebrated ''ghost dances"
could now be given-to give an ade-
1uate description would not be possible. |
By the way these Indians call them |
crazy dances.
l will preface what ! will write in try
ng to describe one seen by me two or |
.hree weeks ago, by saying that these |
Indians seem deeply interested in and to
eel most intensely all of the ceremonies
gone through. The animal excitement |
)r religious frenzy, whichever it should |
De called, was genuine, not .feigned.
When our party first arrived at the |
Arapahoe camp where the dance was to
le held that Sunday afternoon, we saw
If little way by themselves three In
lians, Black-Coyote, Cedar-Tree and
Jgly-Face. They We're facing the
lorth, standing very erect, stol-
dly standing, waiting for the
treat Spirit to move them.
Presently four squaws came up and
orming line facing east, so as to form
With the bucks an l.. In this position
hey stood for probably fifteen minutes,
took, stolidly still. They then Joined
lands in a circle and commenced slowly
moving around, to the cadence of
vierd chant started by Black Coyote.
hen others came and joined in this cir
lie, until the number Of dancers swelled
o over three hundred, and the chant
aised higher and higher. Within this
ircle the medical men exhorted with
arious charms, those forming The magic
ing, TO throw them into trance, in
rider that they might communicate
With their long departed kin. One of
he dancers would be noticed unsteadily
and trembling, as if in state
f violent excitement, vet, seemingly
sing every effort, withal, to retain self
ontrol.
\ medicine man would follow this
ANGER around, touching various parts of
is or her body with some of the good
Medicine" charms used-a dead raven
aemed 10 be the most potent-touching
arious parts of the body, saying mystic
lords and making mystic signs
nd PASSES. The one whom
le Great Spirit was moving
7ould grow gradually more and more
nder the influence Being SO affected !
ley sometimes fall fiat just within the
ng. Others will go within and stagger ,
u long while, seemingly using every {
fort to stand before falling into trance. {
Z harS MIL ,rhirI until h.r.orr,ir.r d,rrr