The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-21
INDIAN GHOST DANCES
PECULIAR RELIGIOUS FRENZY AND
ITS INFLUENCE ON RED MEN.
Teachings of the '.Messiah"-Belief in
Resurrection and Reunion
of All Indians.
Philadelphia Times.

ne news from ldaho last week that three
hundred Bannock braves had left the reser-
walton and had resumed the ghost dance
struck terror to the hearts of those living
within hundred miles of the reservation
Probably no form of religious revival
among the Indians has as much influence
upon the red man as the ghost dance
The Bureau of Ethnology at Washington
through James Mooney, has for several
years past made a special study of the
ghost dance. In 1880 Mr.. Mooney was pre-
pairing to go to the Indian Territory under
the auspices of the Bureau of Ethnology to
continue researches among the Cherokees
when the dance first began to attract at
tention. He asked and received permission
to investigate the subject among the wilder
tribes of the territory. Proceeding directly
TO the Cheyenne and Arapaho, it soon be-
came evident there was more in the ghost
dance than had been suspected, with the re-
suit that the investigation. to which it had
been intended to devote few weeks, was
extended over three years. Indeed, he de-
ciares that it might be continued indefinite
ly, as the dance still exists and is develop
ing new features at every performance.
The first visit of about four months was
made to the Arapahoe Cheyenne Kiowa,
living together in what was then Indian
Territory. These tribes were all more or
less under the influence of the new religion
The principal study was made among the
Arapaho, who were among the most active
propagators of the Messiah doctrine among
the Southern tribes, and are especially
friendly and cordial in disposition. An
other trip lasting three months was made
among the Kiowas and a third, for the
purpose of investigating the dance among
the Sioux, where it attracted most atten-
ton, and among the Piute, where it orig
mated On this journey the author visited
the Omaha, Winnebago, Sioux of Pine
Ridge, Piute, Cheyenne and Arapaho,
met and talked with the Messiah himself,
and afterwards on the strength of this
fact obtained from the Cheyenne the orig
iEal letter containing his message and in
Struct1on to the southern tribes. The entire
investigation occupied twenty-five months
and involved nearly $4,000 miles of travel
and more or less time spent with about
twenty tribes
Mr.. Mooney in his account of the ghost
dance religion proper prefaces it with a dis
cussion of the primitive Messiah belief and
OF the teachings of the various Indian
prophets who have preceded WoVoka, the
founder Of the ghost dance cult Probably
every tribe had it's early hero god, who ac-
comphshed his work in the mythic halcyOn
days, and whose return to resume his king
enough, the Messiah is usually described as
d white man with a flowing beard
MYTH OF THE WINNEBAGOES.
The doctrine that the world is old and
worn out, and that the time of it's renewal
is at hand, is an essential part Of the teach
ings of the ghost dance. The number of
these cycles of destruction is varously
stated among different tribes. Mr.. Mooney
quotes Schoolcraft's account of the myth
among the Winnebago as the most sadly
prophetic Forty years ago they held that
the tenth generation of their people was
near its close and that at the end Of the
thirteenth the red race would be destroyed
By prayers and ceremonies they were then
endeavoring to placate their angry gods
and put further away the doom that now
seems rapidly closing in on them.
Mr.. Mooney briefly reviews the history of
some OF the most famous Indian prophets
OF recent times. In 1862 a prophet appeared
among the DelaWares, at TuscarawaS on
the Muskngum, who preached a union of
all the red tribes and return to the old
Indian life, which he declared to be the di-
vine command as revealed to him in
vision.
The religious ferment produced by his ex-
hortatlonS spread from tribe to tribe and
took shape. under the guidance of the mas
ter mind of the celebrated Chief Pontiac in
a great confederacy of all the Northwestern
tribes, to oppose the further progress of the
English. Again, in the last decade of the
present century, prophet arose among the
ShaWano, and announcing himself as the
bearer of new revelation from the Master
of Life, led a movement which only termi-
mated with the death of his brother, the
heroic Tecumtha, at the battle of the
Thames, in October, 1873 Later in the CEN
fury Kanakuk, new prophet, sprang up
among the Kickapoo. Catlin, who painted
his portrait, heard him preach, and ex-
pressed surprise and admiration at the ease
and grace of MS manner and his eloquent
command of language. He gave his follow
q Ia
prayers and otner religious symbols, which
he carved himself and distributed to every
family. Catlin asserts that his influence
and example were good, and effectually
turned his people from vice and dissipation
to temperance and industry.
In 1852 or 1858 a prophet known Long
Nose arose among the Winnebago, and an
nounced he had been instructed in vision
to teach his people a new dance which he
called the friendship dance In 1870 another
prophet arose among the Piute in Nevada.
He is said to be the father of the present
Messiah" who has GnquestiOnably derived
many of the ideas from him, and lived as
does his son, in Mason Valley. about sixty
miles from Virginia City. The latter told
Mr.. Mooney that his fathers name was
a petty chief, but not a prophet or peacher,
although he used to have visions and was
invulnerable. There seems to be no doubt
that he did preach and prOphesy, and intro
duce new religious dance among his peO-
pie, and the doctrine which he promulgated
and the hopes he held out twenty years ago
built the present Messiah religion. He was
visited by Indians from Oregon and Idaho,
and his teachings were felt among the
Bannocks and ShoshOni, as well as among
the scattered band of Piute, to whom he
continued to preach until his death
ADVENT OF THE NEW DOCTRINE.
Prof. A. H Thompson of the United
States geological survey gave Mr.. Mooney
some particulars of the advent of the new
doctrine among the Piute In the spring of
1879 a great excitement was caused among
the Indians by report that two mysteri-
Gus beings with white skins had appeared
among the Indians far to the west and an
nounced Il resurrection of all the dead In
dams the restorati of game and the re-
turn of old-time primitive life Under the
new order of things. moreover, both races
alike were to be white A number of In
dams from Utah went over into Nevada
and brought back with them the ceremo-
NAL of the new belief, the chief part of the
ritual being dance performed at night in
d circle, with 10 fire in the center, being
much like the modern ghost dance.
1t is SAID that the MOrmons, who hold the
theory that the Indians are the descendants
of the ten lost tribes" cherish the belief
that some OF the lost Jews still ice
bound in the frozen North whence they
will emerge to join their brethren in the
south. When the news of this Indian revela-
ton came to their ears the Mormon priests
accepted 1T as prophecy of the speedy
fufllment of their own traditions and
Orson Pratt preached a sermon which was
extensively copied and commented upon at
the time urging the faithful TO arrange
their affairs, and put their houses in order
to receive the long-eXpected wanderers. IL
to the BannOcks urging them to go to Salt
Lake City and be baptized into the Mormon