The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-22
TuE INDIAN MEDICINE TEN
Are at Work on Every Reservation
aad the Wild Dance Is la Progress

a very dangerous claes oI Luou HoNo
commenced to work among the In
dians on the reservations of the west
and southwest again. They are tne
much dreaded medicine men. Their
power over a tribe is something
wonderful. They are ten times more
powerful than the Indian warrior,
because their power appeals to the
Indians religion, which with him 1s
a very strong tie. The medicine
men are gathering their forces TO
bring about another era of excite
ment in the ranks of the reservation
redskins.
From every Indian reservation in
the west comes the news that the
Indians are OVERRIDING themselves In
the wild dance. They are refusing
to work again. Thousands are now
gathered in wild abandon on the
banks of streams and in the forests
listening to the talks of the medi-
cine men and prophets. Then as
the SUMS rays tall behind the bills
they engage in the heathenlsh
dances. The ghost dance, medicine
dance and war dances are the rage
among The bronzed element.
The medicine men are having
rushing business. They are going
on trips to heaven and seeing things
IN the future right along. Many have
predicted the end:of the world. More
have urged their fellow Indians to
have nothing to do with the whites
and all would turn out well. Some
have told the Indians not to till the
soil because il is their mother, and
TO till her would be to tear out her
hair and eyes. This is the way some
other wars with the Indians started.
It's the manuer in which the famous
battle of Wounded Knee was brought
about.
Here are some of the tribes that
have been engaged in the wild ghost
dance lately: Sioux, Cheyennes,
Lower Brules, Poncas, Sac and Fox
Apaches, Kiowas, Comanches and
Arapahoes. All of these tribes are
what is known as reservation In
dians, and they have been very dan
gerous in the past. All were i'll the
midst of the uprising of 1890, when
tue ghost dance religion led to 80
much trouble. Now they are at it
again and even worse than before.
Dnring the last three weeks all
kN,oao hax-o had DnonU dQnnaG
They have killed the fatted calves
and dogs ard invited their neigh
bors to the feast. The medicine men
have entertained them with stories
OF the coming of the worlds end.
One of them claims to have died and
gone on trip to the other world.
While there he was delegated as
Messiah to his tribe to tell them the
good news that the Great Spirit was
soon to appear on earth and set
things right for the Indian.
Just when he is to make his ap-
pearance these delegates vary widely.
Some say he will be here in August
aud many say he will not come until
the snow flies. Anyhow, he is to be
here, and that is enough to excite
the Indians. They are all bound to
dance and celebrate until he does
show up. The ghost dance proper
lasts six days at one time. Then
they take a rest for couple of
days and start in on another six-day
seauce. The dance is held on the
plains among some of the tribes and
and with the Oklahoma tribes it is
held on the banks of streams. In
the center of these dances is usually
au American flag. The Arapahoes
believe that since the dag is the
ecnaSaem of the white man it must be
pceseot while they are dancing to
eliminate him from this earth. When
the Messiah appears, according to
the Arapahoe prophets, he will spit
on these flags and at that moment
every white person in America will
drop dead. The dance proper is
held in q circle. All Join hands and
move around, singing wild songs and
jumping up and down. After awhile
they fain tot. exaub stion and then
tdeY are supposed to be communing
with dead relatives.
The Indians are greatly excited
OVER the, coming of the Messiah or
Great Spirit. For the last two CEN
taries they have been told just such
wild tales by these medicine men.
Who are these medicine men that
their power is so great? Looking
Glass, the old Sioux medicine man,
was a leader in the famous battle at
Wounded Knee. He was one of the
men who told the Indians that the
white mems bullets would have no
effect on them, and persuaded the
Indians to go into battle with tie