Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-23

How the Craze Was First started-What the
Dances Are Like.

How the Craze Was First Started-What the
Dances Are Like.
''This Messiah craze of the Indians is derived
from their notion of Christianity" said an eth
nologist to a writer for The STAR. Certain
teachings Of the missionaries have fitted on to
their own belief. By them they have been
promised future bliss if they are good. and this
idea accords with the faith which they have
long entertained that at some time in the future
the Great Spirit would restore to them the
land, restocked with game. at the same time
destroying all the white people.
The doctrine of q coming Messiah was first
preached in 1869 by Piute Indian in Nevada.
He died two three years later and nothing
more was heard of such an article Of faith until
five years ago. when son of this former
prophet made his appearance and took up the
preaching where mis- father had left off. His
name was hvit-Tsow. His teaching was that,
the Indians having lapsed into indifference as
to religious ceremonies, dances and penances.
the Great Spirit had allowed them to become
destitute. permitting the whites to gain;
ascendancy and the game to be destroyed.
THE PROPHECY.
Nevertheless, Kvit-Tsow declared the Great
Spirit still loved them and proposed to restore
to them everything if they would return to
their old habits and customs, resume their
religious dances, cast aside the WAYS of the
whites, and especially believe in the prophet.
These conditions having been fulfilled, the
Great Spirit would come and lift all true
believers into the highest mountains, leaving
the unbe!ievers behind petrifed as to be
unable to move. Then he would send q mighty
Hood OF mud and water to drown the white
people and unbelevers, obliteratIny from the
land all traces of the work and occupancy of
the whites. During the flood the Great Spirit
would heal all the sick, lame and blind and the
old people would be made young.
when the floods subsidized, the prophet said.
the country would be revealed in all its original
beauty. just as ii was when the white people
came here first Buffaloes in countless herds
would return to their former ranges. and game
of all kinds would be more abundant than ever
before. On the return OF the faithful from tie
mountains to the valleys all dead Indians would
come back to the flesh. The pale faces would
never return, and the Indians would possess
and occupy the whole land undisturb bed Fur
thermore. Kvit-Tsow wished it understood that
he himself was jnvulnerable. and that il the
soldiers or anybody else tried to kill him they
would become as If they had no bones and
would fall to the ground.
MITATons.
This was the prophet who began the dis
turbances which eliminated a year or SO ago.
Many Indians believed in the doctrines he
preached because they were 80 remarkably at
tractive. Others were not pleased by the dismal
suggestion that, in case they did not have faith
they would be turned to stone and wiped out
by a wave of mud. so kvit-Tsow secured many
followers Naturally, he found imitators
Other prophets made their appearance. prom
ising the coming of the Messiah. with various
incIdentals in the way of miracles Tawaconie
Jim. Nebraska chief, recently met the Savior
on a mountain. dressed i'll white garments
stained with blood. and received the iuforma-
tion that the latter would arrive next spring
and destroy all whites and unbelieving Indians
with rain and balls of fire. there is money in
demand ami receive great quantities Of rich
gifts from the faithful.
RELIGIOUS EXCITEMENT
Incidentally. tho savages have been in
spired to wild religious excitement. which finds
vent in Messiah dances and ghost dances
Thousands Of Indians in the Oklahoma terri
tory. tins Cherokee strip and elsewhere are at
present engaged in these celebrations In antici-
patton OF the event OF the expected divinity
Numerous members OF the tribes. who have
been educated in Christian schools have be-
come infected with the craze and have Joined
IN the savage rites. forsaking their farms and
throwing aside the garments OF civilization
Ii affords an excellent illustration Of the i'm
possibility OF tanning wild people in one gener-
| alton Many wagon loads OF presents for the
Messiah are awaiting his coming.
I'm the Messiah dance the Indians, after
forming a circle OF dancers, admit the dream
| ers or mystery men. who continue to dance
| until they drop from sheer exhaustion. Then
| they are carried TO a tent, where they are sup
posed to commune with spirits and receive
revelations from them respecting the Messiah.
The ghost dance resembles the Messiah
dance. but in 1t the object is for the mystery
men TO commune with the spirits Of deceased
| friends or relatives, and to obtain by such
means advice on questions concerning which
| important information is desired. This dance
occurs at night, and the participants blscken
| their faces and bodies with SCOT and charcoal "
| How the LoafeF Originated.