Ghost Dance

The Ghost Dance (dance of the spirits in French), was a religious movement in America précolombienne. It consisted of a dance practiced in circle.

Wounded Knee

In 1890, Jack Wilson, a known améridien religious leader under the name of Wovoka declared that during the total eclipse of the sun of January 1st 1889 it had received the Révélation to be the Messie of his people. The spiritual movement that it created became known under the name of " Dance of the spirits " , Syncretic mixture of Spiritualism Paiute and of Christianity Shaker. Although Wilson preached that earthquakes would be sent to kill all the White, he also taught that until the day of the last Jugement, the Amerindian were to live in peace and not to refuse to work for the white.

The first two converts with this new religion were the warriors Lakota Indian reserve of Pine Ridge, Kicking Bear and Short Bull. Both recognized that Wilson had made levitation before them but they interpreted his words differently. They rejected the claim of Wilson to be the Messiah and believed that the Messiah would not arrive before 1891. They as refused the pacifism of Wilsonet estimated as of special clothing, the " shirts fanatômes " " ( ghost shirts ") would protect from the balls.

Although probably a majority of the Indians of the reserve of Ridge Prick was converted, the chief Sitting Bull did not form part of it. However, it guaranteed the religious liberty; the federal civils servant however interpreted this tolerance like a total support and the General Nelson Miles ordered his arrest. , 43 Indian police officers tried to stop it the December 15th 1890 with the " " Standing Rock'n'roll Agency ". For not very clear reasons, a shooting followed and Sitting Bull among the twelve was killed.

400 Dancers of the spirits Hunkpapa Lakota fled with the Indian reserve of Cheyenne River of Lakota Minniconjou. Although the majority was convinced to go, 38 continued to resist on the site of the camping of the half-brother of Sitting Bull Big Foot, which had been selected like new chief. Miles ordered at once the arrest of Big Foot but the army temporized, hoping that its pacifist reputation would prevent the hostilities. When Hunkpapa arrived, and frightened by the arrival of many soldiers in résction with the dancers of the spirits, its people insisted that it accepts an invitation of the chief Red Cloud (who did not form part of the movement of the Dance of the spirits) with the " " Prick Ridge Agency " to help it to make peace with the white. 350 Lakota on the whole tried to join Pine Ridge.

The dancers of the spirits had been already weakened by the voluntary withdrawal of the majority of Oglala and the Flaring “hostile” of the bastion of the dancers of the spirits. Fearing that the destination of Big Foot is the bastion and that its presence relights the crisis, Milles deployed 6th and the 9th regiment of cavalry to block Minniconjou. The clan of Big Foot was intercepted by Major Samuel Whitside and approximately 200 men of the 7th regiment of cavalry. Whitside transferred Big Foot towards an ambulance from countryside because of a severe pneumonia and escorted Lakota with their camp for the night with Wounded Knee Creek. The army provides to Lakota tents and rations and determined that there were then 120 men and 230 women and children.

The next morning, Lakota found vis-a-vis them the remainder of the regiment, with its commander, the colonel James W. Forsyth, arrived during the night, as well as a battery of machine-gun Hotchkiss of the 1st artillery regiment. The weapons were laid out on a small hill overhanging the camping. Forsyth informed its commander who Lakota were to be transferred in a military camp with Omaha in the Nebraska.

See too

Random links: