The Tragedy of Wounded Knee -The Ghost Dance
Native Americans considered the Sioux Ghost Dance formal rebellion because a Sharman prophesied the second coming of Jesus Christ. It also meant that the land acquired by the white people forcefully would be returned to the Indians upon His coming. Several people in white society did not comprehend the meaning of the ghost dance (Estreicher, 2018). They thought it was a way for Native Americans to rebel. They viewed this cultural aspect as a threat that could potentially cause Indians to retaliate against the whites. Hire our assignment writing services in case your assignment is devastating you.
Dancing was a common religious practice among the Indians. It served as a social activity and for spiritual healing. However, its spread to different communities of Native Americans, particularly in the Western states, alarmed Europeans since it enabled interaction between the natives distant from one another. Due to this misunderstanding, it became an issue for the army. Europeans perceived this dance as a militant movement, yet it was the commencement of a peaceful confrontation movement according to the natives’ beliefs (Estreicher, 2018). Besides, this dance signified desperation as the Europeans regularly violated treaties, forcing Indians in the West into reservations. For the Indians residing in plains, it was an era of starvation as Europeans killed buffalo herds, destroying their cultural lifestyle and their source of nutrition.
Consequently, about 300 Indians were killed at Wounded Knee. The ironic aspect of this sadistic killing is that one objective of the Europeans was to convert the natives to Christianity. However, they did not understand the Christian ways of Indians, and many Europeans prohibited their practices (Estreicher, 2018). This form of massacre behaviour was practised throughout American history. If the Englishmen could not understand or the practices differed from their mainstream religious interpretation, then they considered it a rebellious act. According to the Indians, Europeans not only damaged their cultures but also destroyed their natural resources to the degree that made it impossible for anybody to reside in the plains (Estreicher, 2018). Europeans viewed the Ghost Dance as an irrational practice by Indians.
The Sioux tribes experienced food starvation and high levels of poverty. Desperate for some form of salvation, they depended on the Ghost Dance for comfort. According to the religious teaching of the Northern Paiute, a spiritual leader named Wovoka believed that the proper practice of the Ghost Dance would reconnect the living natives with the spirits of the dead (Estreicher, 2018). It was a desperate call for support from the spirits to fight on their behalf against the westward expansion, thereby bringing harmony, accord, and wealth to the natives throughout the region. People anxiously believed that Wovoka’s prophecy would end European expansion if they adhered to living a clean life. It entailed being honest and cross-cultural collaboration among Indians.
References
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMn2PuaDNg
Estreicher, J. (2018). “The promises they heard He had made”: The Ghost Dance, Wounded Knee, and Assimilation through Christian Orthodoxy. Penn History Review, 24(2), 2.
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Question 
After watching the Video: “The Tragedy of Wounded Knee (The Ghost Dance)” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDMn2PuaDNg) answer the following questions:
The Tragedy of Wounded Knee -The Ghost Dance
Why was the Sioux Ghost Dance considered to be a form of rebellion?
Why were the Sioux so anxious to believe in the host Dance?
Format: The essay should be between 1 -2 pages, Arial, double spaced and 12-point font and all references cited.