The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-06-14

EPORT comes from the Ton
- que River country that the
Indians Of that region are
restless and making prepara-
tions to inaugurate series of ghost
or Messiah dances. The military
authorities have been appealed to aud
if the excitement continues in all
probability there will eventually be a
conflict between the red man and the
troops which will end disastrously for
the former. 1t is more than matter
of pity that this Government at its
very formation did not take definite
steps for the scientific investigation of
the Messiah dance as practiced by the
various tribes and thus preserve to all
future generations an accurate story
OF the origin Of one of the most re-
markable religious manifestations
known to any race or time. Since
the United States chronological Bu-
reau has been given latitude in its
study Of the Indian much valuable in
formation in regard to this dance has
been secured and made permanent.
The work of Professor Mooney among
the various tribes in the study of the
ghost dance has proved invaluable.
We are beginning to dimly realize
that the North American Indian was
q past master in statecraft and that
to-day as a Cherokee, au Arapaho, I'M
Apache, or a prairie Sioux he is not a
stupid mass of flesh and bones, but a
progressive, intelligent human, who
needs only fair treatment, honest
handling and decent opportunity to
make a far more creditable citizen
than a considerable percentage of the
white men to be found in the average
city ward. The greatest offense ever
charged against the North American
Indian was no more than the worst
said OF the Filipino to-day-he re-
sisted where he believed himself to be
right, and his opponent, the inevitable
white man, to be wrong. And in this
connection there has been more trash
and falsehood written about his Mes
siah dance than all the tears of the
gentle recording angel can ever wash
out You have seen good Methodist
brethren at the height of psalm singing
in the camp meetings go through many
peculiar gyrations and say many
peculiar things. Yet they were act.
ing under no different primary in
huences than the Indian in his leap
ing and jumping Messiah dance. With
the Indian it is as with all men, he has
been looking to the unanswering skies
for ages to see the sign of the coming
of the harbinger of ioy-the one who
is to restore youth to the face of thu
earth and peace to the body aud minds
OF the inhabitants thereof.
In the Indian belief their Messiah
will be white in color The Indian
red skin is but an indication that a
| one distant time he offended the Grea
Spirit and his color was changed from
white to red. But he will be restored
10 the white skin, the emblem or mari
of innocence, when the Messiah ap
pears before him and by his presenc,
makes the very "hills leap and laugl
with JOY" When the Indians o
central Illinois first saw white men il
the persons of Marquette and Jolie
they believed and said that this wa
the token that the Messiah was nea
and that his eventful appearance wa
a matter of short moment. SO on tn,
banks of tho Illinois River thes,
guileless Indians danced before tn,
French Jesuits and declared tina
"never had the sun shone so bright.
nor the earth seemed so beautiful" o
on the day when they approached. L
required but matter of few year
to convince the Indian that the whit,
men were not the forerunners of tn,
Messiah, but of the evil spirit, bear
ing in their hands the instruments o
ravage and ruin. This discovery
though, did not destroy the Indian be
lief that the Messiah would come
Regularly prophets appeared anon
the tribes and foretold the coming o
the Indian Christ.
The tribes were warned that the
must cease their idolatrous reverenc
for the medicine men, that they mus
quit the use of liquor, drive all dog
from their camps, no longer make wa
upon women. BY ceasing these evil
they prepared themselves for the Mes
siahs appearance. The prophet
passed through all the regions ofith
Columbian River tribes; they came t.
the Sioux upon the Missouri; the.
visited the Winnebagoes and the Chip
pewas and passed among all the tribe
of the Ohio Valley Territory. s
powerful was their influence that OF
one occasion an entire tribe OF tn
Chippewas left the Lake Superior re
gion and travelled to Detroit, where
they had been told the Messiah woul'
meet them. Great was the excitemen
always when the prophets appeare'
and forctold the coming of the Deliv
cred. The dance originated as re
ligious ceremony, aud with the In
dians it has always been kept as
part of his religious demonstrations
When commanded by the prophets {,
prepare for the Messiah, who was t,
restore his land to him, return th,
buffalo and drive away the white man
he fitted his body and spirit for tn
eventful time by the dance which i
now termed "ghost." Although elab
crate in all its parts, there is in it
origin nothing more than this. Ii
late years the dance has been observed
as rule when the Indian was smart
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