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| In 1889 a Paiute holy man awoke from a three day trance to teach his tribe the ghost dance religion. That holy man was Wovoka. | |
The ghost dance religion is a religion that Indians believed would restore the earth to the way it was before the white men arrived. They thought it would bring back loved ones both human and animal and it would bring back all their buffalo. They believed it would restore their land back to them. They thought the earth would be covered with a new soil burying all white men. It would be covered with sweet grass, running water, and trees. They believed that all the Indians who danced this religion would be taken up into the air and be suspended there while the new earth was being laid down. Sitting Bull, a fierce warrior, however did not believe it would bring people back from the dead.
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When
Indians danced this
religion they wore shirts called ghost shirts. They were painted with stylized
birds, stars, and crescents and other symbolic images. Some Arapaho
shirts might have had a red dancer on the triangular neck flap. They
believed that when they wore these white bullets
would have no effect on them. As more people came interested in the religion the more the government got worried. When they grew alarmed because of how many Indians were getting in to this religion. They blamed Sitting Bull for it. |
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| "The
coming of the troops has frightened the Indians. If the Seventh Day Adventists
prepare the ascension robes for the second coming of the
savior, the United States Army is not put in motion to prevent them. Why
should not the Indians have the same privilege? If the troops remain,
trouble is sure to come." said former agent Valentine McGillycuddy.
Nonetheless on December 12 an order was put out for Sitting Bull to be
arrested. Sitting Bull said this about being arrested "Let the
soldiers come and take me away and kill me, Wherever they like. I am not
afraid. I was born a warrior. I have followed the warpath ever since I
was able to draw a bow." Three days later on December 15 Forty
three Indian policemen surrounded Sitting Bull's cabin. Three miles back
there was another squadron to backup the policemen. When Lieutenant Bull
Head entered the cabin Sitting Bull was still asleep. Sitting Bull
agreed to come out with the police. He asked that his horse be saddled
while he dressed. After they left the cabin a large group of ghost
dancers, much larger than the police force, had assembled and
challenged the police. A war broke out and Catch-the-Bear, a ghost
dancer, shot Lt. Bull Head with a rifle. In attempt to fire back Lt.
Bull Head accidentally shot Sitting Bull then Red Tomahawk ,a policeman,
shot Sitting Bull in the head. After the war had broke out most of
Sitting Bull's tribe surrendered others fled south towards the badlands
to join Big Foot And his tribe. He had been leading the ghost dancers on
the Cheyenne River Reservation. 106 warriors and about 250 women and
children and the persuaded chief, who was grievously ill with pneumonia,
fled to the Pine Ridge Reservation to join Red Cloud. On December
28 the army intercepted them and brought them to the location on Wounded
Knee Creek to be disarmed. Black Coyote, a deaf young warrior, raised a
gun above his head when they were trying to take it away it went off.
When other Indians heard it they threw there blankets aside and opened
fire against the army. The government fired into the ranks of native
warriors. Big Foot was among one of the first casualties. 300 Indians and 31 soldiers died here and 300
Indians and 25 soldiers were
killed near Sitting Bull's cabin. This war ended all Indian wars between
the Indians and the government.
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| Justin Ramsey
8th Grade 2001 American History Rossville Jr. High
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