Native American History – Ghost Dance and The Sun Dance Ceremony

Native American History – Ghost Dance and The Sun Dance Ceremony

Question 6: Why is the Ghost Dance Important?

It is essential to point out that this dance was one of the most popular events among the Native American Indians. Sources suggest that the Paiutes introduced this dance. In the beginning, the movement was not unified. Instead, it was “…a series of similar revitalization cults derived from one source” (Zimmerman 138). With this in mind, it suffices to assert that the essence of these Ghost Dances was to link the living and the dead. In this case, the dance was made in a circle, and dances linked these two worlds through the visionary trance.

Secondly, conveniently enough, after an outbreak of a disease in January 1889, Wovoka went into a trance and claimed that God had informed him to preach peace to his people after visiting the land of the dead. Falling into a trance was the key link to learning what the future would be like, apart from just talking with the dead (Fletcher 57). With this in mind, it is sufficient to say that this Ghost Dance was used as a tool to promote peace between warring tribes and the White man’s government. As such, these dances were used by Woloka to his advantage to prevent the total extermination of the Natives by the White settlers. He suggested that God wanted them to embrace peace and adopt some of the White man’s ways of living and his culture to foster peace.

Besides, inasmuch as the Ghost Dance was used to bolster peace by Wovoka and to ensure the survival of his people, it is apparent that other Indian tribes saw this as collaboration or accepting defeat, and therefore, they used these very dances to promote rebellion. During these dances, the emissaries sent to Wovoka made interpretations to suit their purposes and agendas. These religious ceremonies were revered among these tribes; should anyone ask them about matters concerning religion, there were visible emotional changes (Smith 15). In the case of the Lakota, their interpretation of the Ghost dance, during the trance, they believed that Wovoka belonged to the Great Spirit, who rose from the dead after the white man killed him. Therefore, they believed that they would eventually win the war against the White man. As such, it can be concluded that Ghost Dances were used both for peaceful purposes and waging war.

Question 5: What is the Sun Dance ceremony (In your own words)

Foremost, it was not as popular as the Ghost Dance, but it was also important to the natives, and its significance manifested in the tribes that lived in the plains. It entailed gathering an entire community, where people met to pray and seek healing for various ailments. It was also here that individual persons made personal sacrifices on the community’s behalf.

Besides, the ceremony signified the reunification and reconnection between the spirits and the earth. It aimed at making life prayers and renewal of the same. A dancer, in this case, could offer a part of his body as a sacrifice for the sake of the community at large. The dance was held annually by each Indian tribe, often when spring was about to end or the beginning of summer, a period when the buffaloes met in huge numbers after the winter, which guaranteed food for the large numbers of people.

Lastly, a potent instance of requesting for power and special gifts from the spirit world was through the sun dance, and as such, it was revered among the plain tribes. Often, these events involved a few individuals who were willing to undergo the painful ritual. It was often held close to big camps or villages, and it required that dancers had a full year prior to the ceremony to prepare themselves.

Works Cited

Fletcher, Alice C. “The Indian Messiah.” The Journal of American Folklore 4.12 (1891): 57-60.

Smith, Huston. A seat at the table. University of California Press, 2005.

Zimmerman, Larry J. Native North America. Duncan Baird Publishers, 1996, pp. 137-138

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Ghost Dance and The Sun Dance Ceremony

Short answer portion:
Create a concise and comprehensive short answer for TWO of the following questions/topics before taking the exam:
What reservation is probably the most noted in the history of the USA, and why is it important?
Where are the majority of reservations located, and why are they located there?
Why is dancing important to America’s tribal people?
What instrument is used in American tribal dances?
What is the Sun Dance ceremony (in your own words)?
Why is the Ghost Dance important?