New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13

accounts Of some OF these visions are valuable "a
the ethnologist: others are so mixed with mis.
sionary teachings that they are Of no worth.
shall not occupy the space which would be required
for literal translation, the subjects frequently
much that 1t would require over half An
hour for the priest to interpret 1t to the multitude
but the visions have much in common and the
following related by Itonkasan. may be taken as
an example Of what converts in the spirit
land
Two great eagles carried me, into the hannv
land. ! there skin lodges. such as we used
to have before the whites put upon reserya
lions. The people very glad to see me ana
my relatives cried as they embraced me. I saw
my grandparents. my father and brothers Thar.
were countless buffalo, elk deer and antelopa
Ny relatives had bone. stone. wood and Leather
utensils and weapons such they possessed tvo
generations upon earth.
They showed me a great lodge made OF rushes
closely woven together. In which dwet the good
spirit (Wakantanka), and said that at noon h.
would come forth and speak TO the people Soon
after this / heard a great noise. and he came mn,
of his lodge and told me many things. He said
that the earth bad. out and tho,
the whites had destroyed all his people. the Sioux
and. therefore. he would send a>wave of nnu6
across the continent which would bury them rhs
Indians to flee into the highest points OF the
Rlack Hills and thus escape.
''fIe instructed me i'm the dance. and said n.
would surely come earth again to save us
but not for the whites. He commanded me to re.
turn 10 earth.
Two things deserve to be noted In connectio,
with this recital AS to the reference TO the chers
meeting with the dead members of his family:
The Sioux honor the grandparents above their
parents and in the matter Of reference to thu
dead. are singuarly like the Chinese Hence the
force of the expression in one of the ghost-dancs
songs "My son. shake hands with me-" or This
the Father said" As TO the catastrophe which
was to overwhelm the white people, it is interest.
ing TO observe that many of the Northwestern
tribes have "A tradition that severe volcanic
action once totally DESTROYED their enemies This
varus skull and the Nampa image beneath lava
's The first three MOI tbs of the Messiah crass
marked revival simply religious. The converts
danced IN simple knoTn va og the
the politicians among the Indians took advantage
anse that the dance assumed a hostile aspect
Eagle feathers and pipes. both the symbol OF peace
and holiness were carried. Religious devices were
a,~ mon the breasts of the shirts Through
October and November 1880. the dances were ex.
ceedingly devout have seen large number Of
men and women. almost crazy with excitement
cro"deu arouu UNI . m ,rivinp 70 thrust soma ,I,,ys
gift or token between the PUSHES tied about its
base 7 have seen them hysterical rushing blindly
about within the circl" crying praying calling
trouble. Considering the sacred character OF the
ceremony and its effect for peace ana love have
often wondered that the missionaries took no mora
advantage OF IL than they did Surely IL seems as
no one understood rightly. Such an opportunity
for spiritual good has not been onered since the
DAYS OF the Moravian missions. ] krow positively
that the appeals of the Ogallallas and Brues 70
the Messiah were brought about by lack OF food
and annuities, and hence ! affirm that the whole
trouble with the military authorities could have
been avoided had some man been placed In charge
AZ Pine Ridge who understood Indians and thei!
customs. While the severe lesson taught such Of
the Sioux young men and politicians as took ad-
vantage Of the prevailing craze has done much 10
bring about proper understanding between me
Wounded Knee and other disastrous results were
entirely unnecessary: The studies Ct lndian Gus:
toms and music. such Miss Fletcher. our chlef
ethnologist has pursued. of aid TO the ethnolo'
gist and also Of value TO those who have the WEI
fare OF the Indians AT heart. and see more IN MIN
,han rho rowing homeless savages of thirty years
ago. NAkhbN N. "'ONriiH''D'