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The Ghost Dance In the late 19th century, many Indian tribes in the western United States were in a desperate situation. Many Indian warriors had been killed, and the surviving members of most tribes were freezing, starving, and dying from strange diseases. But in the year 1890, just when all hope seemed lost, the Indians' spirits were suddenly revived by reports of a new ritual dance called the Ghost Dance. According to the reports, performing the new dance could potentially cause all white people to miraculously vanish from the earth. In addition, the dance also might bring all dead Indians back to life and re-unite them with their old tribes. The final result of these changes would be a world in which the Indians could return to their old way of life in a restored environment completely free of war, disease, suffering, and death.
It was called the Ghost Dance because the spirits (ghosts) of dead ancestors sometimes appeared in visions to Indians who were performing it. Visions had also played a role in the original creation of the dance, which was first performed by members of the Paiute tribe in Nevada. Knowledge of the dance began spreading from Nevada to other areas in the spring of 1890, and within a few months it had reached most parts of the American west.
According to the predictions of some Indian prophets, the dance would produce its miraculous effects in the spring of 1891, but only if it was performed regularly by many different tribes during the intervening months. The expected effects included the disappearance of all white people, the resurrection of all dead Indian ancestors, a miraculous transformation of the earth, and a return to the old way of life in an unspoiled environment.
Although the Ghost Dance was new, it had similarities to the traditional circle dances that most tribes had been performing for centuries. But the Ghost Dance was unusual in that men and women performed it together. They circled counter-clockwise around a tree or pole, chanting and singing special songs. The dances of some tribes had several hundred participants and lasted up to five days, although there were occasional breaks to allow the dancers to rest. Despite these rest periods, some
