The Ghost-Dance Religion and Wounded Knee

Immediately following the massacre of Wounded Knee (December 29, 1890), the well-known anthropologist James Mooney, under the auspices of the Bureau of American Ethnology and the Smithsonian, investigated the incident. His interest was primarily in the Indian background to the uprising. Admitting that the Indians had been generally overpowered by the Whites, what led the Indians to think they stood a chance against White arms? His answer was astonishing: the Ghost-Dance Religion.Investigating every Indian uprising from Pontiac to the 1980s, every Indian resistance to aggression, every incident of importance, Mooney discovered a cultural pattern: a messianic religion that permeated leaders and warriors from Tecumseh and his brother The Prophet on up to the Plains tribes that revived the Ghost-Dance in the 1880s and 90s. The message was: abandon the ways of the Whites; go back to Indian ways; an Indian messiah is coming; the Indian dead are to be resurrected — indeed, some have already returned; and the Whites are to be killed by the Spirits.
Mooney made an exhaustive study of this cult, the rise of its latest version, diffusion to the Plains, and its relevance to the medicine man Sitting Bull and others. Citing many primary documents as well as anthropological data he gathered himself, Mooney gives an extremely detailed, thorough account of the cult; its songs and dances, ceremonies, and its social impact.
This work has always been considered one of the great classics of American anthropology, a book that not only offers an account of a very interesting cultural phenomenon, but also throws light on many events in Indian-White relations that are otherwise dark. Its data have never been superseded and the book remains a work of primary importance in Native American studies.

IntroductionThe narrative Chapter I Paradise lost II The Delaware prophet and Pontiac III Tenskwatawa the Shawano prophet IV Tecumtha and Tippecanoe V Känakûk and minor prophets Känakûk Pätheske Tä¿vibo Nakai-dokli¿ni The Potawatomi prophet Cheez-tah-paezh the Sword-bearer VI The Smohalla religion of the Columbia region Smohalla Joseph and the Nex Percé war VII Smohalla and his doctrine VIII The Shakers of Puget sound IX Wovoka the messiah X The doctrine of the Ghost dance Appendix: The Mormons and the Indians Porcupines's account of the messiah The Ghost dance among the Sioux Selwyn's interiew with Kuwapi XI The Ghost dance west of the Rockies XII The Ghost dance east of the Rockies-among the Sioux Appendix: Causes of the outbreak Commissioner Morgan's statement Ex-Agent McGillycuddy's statement Statement of General Miles Report of Captain Hurst Statement of American Horse Statement of Bishop Hare XIII The Sioux outbreak-Sitting Bull and Wounded Knee Appendix: The Indian story of Wounded Knee XIV Close of the outbreak - The Ghost dance in the south XV The ceremony of the Ghost dance Among the northern Cheyenne Among the Sioux Song rehersals Preparations for the dance Giving the feather The painting of the dancers The ceremony The crow dance The hypnotic process The area covered by the dance Present condition of the dance XVI Parallels in other systems The Biblical period Mohammedanism Joan of Arc Dance of Saint John The Flagellants "Ranters, Quakers, and Fifth-Monarchy men" French prophets Jumpers Methodists Shakers Kentucky revival Advertists Other parallels Beekmanites Patterson and Brown's mission Wilderness worshipers Heavenly recruits Appendix: Hypnotism and the dance among the DervishesThe songs Introductory The Arapaho Tribal synonymy Tribal signs Sketch of the tribe Songs of the Arapaho 1. "Opening song: Eyehe¿! nä¿nisäna - O, my children!" 2. Se¿ichä heitäwuni¿na - The sacred pipe tells me 3. Ate¿be tiawu¿nanu¿ - When at first I liked the whites 4. A¿bä¿ni¿hi¿ - My partner 5. A¿-nisûnäähu - My father 6. E¿yehe¿! Wû¿nayu¿uhu¿ - E¿yehe¿! They are new 7. Hi¿sähi¿hi - My partner! My partner 8. Ä¿-nani¿ni¿bi¿nä¿si waku¿na - The wind makes the head-feathers sing 9. He¿! Näne¿th bishiqäwa - When I met him approaching 10. Hänänäwunanu - I take pity on those 11. "A-ni¿qu wäwanä¿tiä - Father, now I am singing it" 12. Häyanä-usi¿yä - How bright is the moonlight! 13. Häti ni¿bät - The cottonwood song 14. Eyehe¿! A¿nie¿sänä - The young Thunderbirds 15. "A¿he¿sûnänini nayäqûti¿hi - Our father, the Whirlwind" 16. "A¿he¿sûnänini nayäqûti¿ - Our father, the Whirlwind" 17. Ninaä¿niahu¿na - I circle around 18. Hänahawu¿nen beni¿ni¿na - The Hanahawunen gave it to me 19. Ate¿be¿ tanä-ise¿ti - When first our father came 20. A-ni¿äne¿thahi¿nani¿na - My father did not recognize me 21. Ni¿-athu¿-a-u¿ ähakä¿nith¿ii - The whites are crazy 22. Nähäta bi¿taäwu - The earth is about to move 23. Ahe¿sûnänini ächiqähäwa-û - I am looking at my father 24. Häanake¿I - The rock 25. Wäwänädanä¿dia - I am about to hum 26. A-te¿be dii¿netitänieg - At the beginning of existence 27. Tahu¿näänä¿niähuna - It is I who make the thunder 28. "Ani¿qu ne¿chawu¿nani¿ - Father, have pity on me" 29. A-ni¿nihäniahu¿na - I fly around yellow 30. Nihänatäyeche¿ti - The yellow hide 31. A-bää¿thinähu - The cedar tree 32. Wäwa nû¿nanû¿naku¿ti - Now I am waving an eagle feather 33. A-ni¿qanäga - There is a solitary bull 34. A-neä¿thibiwähana - The place where crying begins 35. Thi¿äyä he¿naäawa - When I see the thi¿äya 36. A-hu¿hu hägeni¿sti¿ti - The crow is making a road 37. Bi¿taäwu hu¿hu¿ - The crow brought the earth 38. Ni¿nini¿tubi¿na hu¿hu¿ (I) - The crow has called me 39. Nû¿nanû¿naätani¿na hu¿hu¿ (I) -The crow is circling above me 40. "Iyu hä¿thäbe¿nawä - Here it is, I hand it to you" 41. "Hanae¿hi yägäahi¿na - Little boy, the coyote gun" 42. He¿sûnä nänahathähi - The father showed me 43. Nänisätaqu¿thi Chinachi¿chibä¿ihä - The seven venerable priests 44. Nä¿nisätaqi Chi¿nachi¿chibä¿ihä - The seven venerable priests 45. Nû¿nanû¿naätani¿na hu¿hu¿ (II) 46. Nätanu¿ya che¿bi¿nh - The pemmican that I am using 47. "Häi¿nawä hä¿ni¿täqunäni - I know, in the pitfall" 48. Bä¿hinä¿ninätä ni¿tabä¿na - I hear everything 49. A-bä¿qati¿ hä¿nichä¿bi¿hinä¿na - With the wheel I am gambling 50. Ani¿äsäkuäna - I am watching 51. Ni¿chi¿a i¿theti¿hi - (There) is a good river 52. Ni¿nini¿tubi¿na hu¿hu¿ (II) 53. Anihä¿ya atani¿tänu¿nawä - I use the yellow (paint) 54. Ni¿naä¿niahu¿tawa bi¿taäwu - I am flying about the earth 55. I¿nitätä-usä¿na - Stand ready 56. Wäwäthä¿bi - I have given you magpie feathers 57. "Ani¿qa he¿tabi¿nuhu¿ni¿na - My father, I am poor" 58. Nä¿nisätaqu¿thi hu¿na - The seven crows 59. Ahu¿nä he¿sûnänin - There is our father 60. "Gäawähu - The ball, the ball" 61. Ahu¿ ni¿higähu - The Crow is running 62. Yäthä-yû¿na - He put me in five places 17. "A¿gäch ehe¿e¿ye¿ ! - The crow, the crow" 18. "Nä¿niso¿näsi¿stsi he¿e¿ye¿ ! - My children, my children" 19. Agu¿gä-ihi - The crow woman Cheyenne glossary The Comanche Tribal synonymy Tribal sign Sketch of the tribe Songs of the Comanche 1. Heyo¿hänä häe¿yo 2. Yähi¿yû¿nivähu 3. Yani¿tsini¿hawäna 4. Ni¿nini¿tuqi¿na "The Paiute, Washo, and Pit River tribes" Paiute tribal synonymy Sketch of the Paiute Characteristics Genesis myth The Washo The Pit River Indians Songs of the Paiute 1. Nüvä ka ro¿rani¿ - The snow lies there 2. Denä gayo¿n - A slender antelope 3. Do ti¿mbi - The black rock 4. Päsü¿ wi¿noghän - The wind stirs the willows 5. Pägüinäväi - Fog! Fog! 6. Wûmbi¿ndomä¿n - The whirlwind 7. Kosi¿ wûmbi¿ndomä¿ - There is dust from the whirlwind 8. Dombi¿na so¿winä - The rocks are ringing 9. Su¿ng-ä ro¿yonji¿ - The cottonwoods are growing tall Paiute glossary The Sioux Tribal synonymy Tribal sign Sketch of the tribe Songs of the Sioux 1. Opening song: A¿te he¿ye e¿yayo - The father says so 2. "Michi¿nkshi nañpe - My son, let me grasp your hand" 3. He tuwe¿cha he - Who think you comes there? 4. Wanäyañ mäniye - Now he is walking 5. Lechel miyo¿qañ-kte - This is to be my work 6. Michinkshi¿yi tewäqila che - I love my children 7. Mila kiñ hiyu¿michi¿chiyana - Give me my knife 8. Le he¿yahe¿ - This one says 9. Niyäte-ye¿ he¿u¿we - It is your father coming 10. Miyo¿qañ kiñ wañläki - You see what I can do 11. Michinkshi mitäwaye - It is my own child 12. A¿te he¿ u-we - There is the father coming 13. Wäsna wätiñ-kta - I shall eat pemmican 14. A¿te lena mäqu-we - The father gave us these 15. "Inä he¿kuwo¿ - Mother, come home" 16. Wäna wanasäpi-kta - Now they are about to chase the buffalo 17. He! Kii¿ñyañka ägali¿-ye - He! They have come back racing 18. Mi¿ye wañmäyañka-yo! - Look at me! 19. Makä sito¿maniyañ -The whole world is coming 20. Le¿na wäkañ - These sacred things 21. Miyo¿qañ kiñ chichu¿-che - I have given you my strength 22. "Michi¿nkshi tahe¿na - My child, come this way" 23. Wana wiche¿ shka - Now set up the tipi 24. "A¿te mi¿chuye - Father, give them to me" 25. Hañpa wechäghe - I made moccasins for him 26. Wakäñyañ iñyäñkiñ-kte - The holy (hoop) shall run Sioux glossary The Kiowa and Kiowa Apache Kiowa tribal synonymy Kiowa tribal sign Sketch of the Kiowa The Kiowa Apache Songs of the Kiowa 1. Däta-i so¿däte - The father will descend 2. Däk'iñ¿ago (im) zä¿nteähe¿dal - The spirit army is approaching 3. Gu¿ato ädâ¿ga - I scream because I am a bird 4. Däta-i nyä¿hoângämo -The father shows me the road 5. Dak'iñ¿a bate¿yä - The spirit (God) is approaching 6. Nädäg äkäna - Because I am poor 7. Ze¿bät-gâ¿ga igu¿ânpä-imä - He makes me dance with arrows 8. Be¿ta! To¿ngyä-gu¿adal - Red Tail has been sent 9. Däta-i änkäñgo¿na - My father has much pity for us 10. Däta-i iñkäñtähe¿dal - My father has had pity on me 11. Dak'iñ¿ago äho¿ähe¿dal - The spirit host is advancing 12. E¿hyuñ¿I degiäta - I am mashing the berries 13. Go¿mgyä-däga - That wind shakes my tipi 14. Dak'iñ¿a dakañ¿tähe¿dal - God has had pity on us 15. Anso¿gyätä¿to - I shall cut off his feet Kiowa glossary The Caddo and associated tribes Caddo tribal synonymy Caddo tribal sign Sketch of the Caddo "The Wichita, Kichai, and Deleware" Songs of the Caddo 1. Häyo täiä ää -Our father dwells above 2. Wû¿nti häyano¿ di¿witi¿a - All our people are going up 3. Nûna i¿tsiyä - I have come 4. Nätsiwäya - I am coming 5. Nä-iye¿ ino¿ gänio¿sit - My sister above 6. Näa häyo häwano - Our father above (has) paint 7. Wû¿nti häyano käkäno¿ - All the people cried 8. Bäwi i¿na - We have our mother below 9. Ni¿ikä näa - Our grandmother and our father above 10. Hi¿na hänatobi¿na - The eagle feather headdress 11. Nä aä o¿wi¿tä - The father comes from above 12. Näiwi¿ o¿wi¿tä - See! The eagle comes 13. A¿nanä hanänito¿ - The feather has come back 14. Näiwi¿ hänaä - There is an eagle above 15. "Wi¿tu¿ Häsini¿ - Come on, Caddo" Caddo glossaryAuthorities cited