1. Ghost Dance and Religious Resistance

2. Ghost Dance New religious movement Spiritual dance to regain life
Became part of many Native American belief systems

3. Basis: circle\round dance since prehistoric times
Trance, prophesying
Last 5 days and 4 nights
Occur every 6 weeks
Moved from right to left → course of Sun
No instruments

4. The Original Movement Began in 1870, Walker Lake Reservation, Nevada
Hawthorne Wodziwob – Gray Hair (Paiute)
Preached God’s messages
Spread to westward (Klamath, Miwok, Modoc, Yurok)

5. Second Movement 1890 – Jack Wilson – Wovoka Prophet of peace
New religion was termed as: ” Dance in a circle” → ”Spirit Dance” → ”Ghost Dance”
Religion spread across much of western part (Cheyenne, Arapaho, Lakota (Sioux), Kiowa)

6. New form practiced among Nevada Paiute (1889)
Quickly reached California and Oklahoma
Change in society and in ritual
Contributed in Lakota resistance

7. Political influence 1890 – Smaller reservations
Individual lands – unable to farm ↓
Starvation
People turned into Ghost Dance

8. US government banned Ghost Dance
Rituals continued
Troops in South Dakota
Arrest and death of Sitting Bull ↓
More violent resistance

9. Wounded Knee Massacre
At least 153 dead Sioux

10. Ghost Dance disappeared
Led to Bourke Act (1906)
Competent \ Incompetent
Native Americans lost about 90 million acres of land
About landless
1930s: land returned to tribal ownership
Still low standard of living

11. Thank You For Your Attention!