The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21
THE GHOST DANCE.
Cause of the Indian Uprising of 1890 as
Told by Chief Little Wound.

Cause of the Indian Uprising of 1890 as
Told by Chief Little Wound.
s'Indian logic has always been DIFF
ficult to overcome by the whites who
have to deal with the government
wards,' said DR.. McGillicuddy, ex-
agent at Pine Ridge agency, "but
the most embarrassing position I
was ever in was when we represent
atives of the government sought to
treat with the Indians in their reli-
gious uprising at Pine Ridge in 1890.
The story of the outbreak has never
been told with such clearness as at
one of our conferences.
sThere were assembled at Pine
Ridge agency in December, 1890, a
few days prior to the Wounded Knee
battle, several government officers
and the Kiyaksa war chief Little
Wound, now leading chief of the
Sioux Nation. Little Wound was
asked if he blamed the agent for the
coming of the soldiers to stop the
ghost dance. He answered NO and
then said:
"sMy friends, over 60 winters
have passed over my head. I am
too old to dance. Now that you
have asked me about this thing I
will tell you. The holy men have
for many years been telling us that
ages and ages ago you white people
became very wicked. You lost the
right road and denied your Great
Spirit. He finally took pity on you
and sent his Son from the happy
hunting grounds to save you and
bring you back and show you the
way to live. He was called the Mes
siah. We are told that he lived with
you over 80 years and worked hard
to save you from your wickedness,
but you had lost your ears. Your
brains were in whirl, and you
would not think right. You threw
him away from you and finally nail
ed him upon a great wooden cross,
stuck a spear in his side and killed
him, and he returned to the happy
hunting grounds with a tired heart.
It was told at the time that he would
come again some time and that
when he did come the hearts Of the
people would be good. That would
mean plenty to eat, and there would
be no more war.
"'A few moons ago a young
northern Cheyenne warrior came to
us. He said he had come after many
days journey from the far west;
that near great lake shore he had
met the Messiah, q tall white man
with golden hair and beard, blue
eyes and a good tongue. He said he
had again been so sent by the Great
Spirit; that all the people would be
happy now, for the Great Spirit had
taken pity on the world; there would
be no more war; the buffalo would
come back, and we would be perse-
cuted no more, but would all live
together, and when the green grass
came in the spring he would visit
the different tribes of men and teach
them how to live. But he said that
many people had denied him, and at
last killed him. Now he had ar
ranged certain signs and dance by
which, when he should come to q
tribe, he would know whether they
would receive him. Those signs he
taught to the Cheyenne and told
him to teach the people.
"'Now, whether this old story Of
the holy man and what the Chey-
enne told us is true / do not know,
but got my young men together
and told them that if it was good
thing we should have it, but if it
was not it would fall to the ground
itself, and I told them to learn this
dance, so that if the Messiah does
come he will not pass us by. My
friends, this is all we know about
the Messiah and the ghost dance.
'.After a few moments the old
chief turned to me and said:
"'You lived with us many years.
We trust you. Will you tell me if
this that has been told us about the
Messiah is true-that he will come
and by his coming will bring back
the buffalo, make us strong people
to live on the land the Great Spirit
has given usf What is the white
man afraid Of? Why has he brought
the soldiers here to deprive us of the
dancea After robbing US of our
game and lands does he now want to
rob us of our Great Spirit and our
religioni'
"A few days later came the battle
of Wounded Knee, resulting in the
death Of 2 officers and 35 men of the
regular army and 145 Indians. Two
days subsequently the Brule Sioux,
under the leadership Of Little
Wound, surrounded General Forsyth
and the famous Seventh cavalry in
the canyon Of White Clay and held
them until they were rescued by the