Native American History: Ghost Dance
Posted on January 04, 2011 by
Tracey
A mysterious and often misunderstood Native American ritual, the Ghost Dance once inspired fear among white Americans during the late 19th century. …but, this ominous spirit dance actually began as a nonviolent religious movement called “fight no one and hate no one”.
Origins of the Ghost Dance A hope for peace It was believed the dance would incite a great apocalypse and
ultimately lead to a peaceful end of the white American expansion,
the preservation of the Native American culture, and the return of
the buffalo. The Lakota version of the dance By the late 1800s, countless Lakota traditions had already been banned by the government. It seemed they had few alternatives left other than to use force against their oppressors – from reservation police, government agents, and the military, to white settlers – in defense of their culture and the few traditions they had left. In reaction to the years of intense battle, loss of land, broken treaties, and cultural restrictions, those Lakota who practiced the Ghost Dance began to make sacred shirts that were believed to be bullet-proof. Ghost Dance shirts & dresses This sacred clothing was worn by all believers – man, woman, or child – as an outside garment during the sacred dance, but it was also thought to have been worn at other times under ordinary dress. . http://www.prairieedge.com/tribe-scribe/native-american-history-ghost-dance/ |