Ghost Dance Movement

The Ghost Dance movement was a late 19th century Native American apocalyptic religious movement which combined elements of traditional animistic belief and Christianity. The movement began as a result of a vision by the Northern Paiute leader Wovoka, who believed that the ritualistic performance of the Ghost Dance would result in the cleansing of the world of evil, and the reunion of the living and the dead.

Fast Facts:

1. Began in 1889, with a vision by Wovoka, a Northern Paiute visionary and leader
2. Ended almost entirely in December 1890, with the Wounded Knee Massacre
3. The Sioux Tribe believed a "ghost shirt' would protect them from soldier's bullets

History

The Ghost Dance movement spread rapidly across the American West, and when adopted by members of the Lakota Sioux, the Dance was thought to have the power of ridding Sioux lands of whites forever. Many Sioux also came to believe that by wearing white "Ghost Shirts", they could repel the bullets of the United States soldiers stationed around their reservations. After the U.S. government severely adjusted the boundaries of the Great Sioux Reservation in 1890, performances of the Ghost Dance increased, alarming soldiers and white settlers near the reservations. On December 15, 1890, police attempted to arrest the Lakota chief Sitting Bull for failing to stop the Ghost Dance; shots were fired, and Sitting Bull was shot in the head by one of the officers. Finally, on December 28, 1890, as a result of tensions brought on by white perceptions of the Ghost Dance as harmful, the Wounded Knee Massacre resulted in the deaths of 153 Lakota men, women, and children, and 25 U.S. soldiers.

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