Dancing with the Ghosts The Ghost Dance is a familiar topic in the history of Native American culture as well as in the history of the United States. It brings forth images of people chanting, moving in a slow circle, perhaps dressed in clothing with fringe and feathers. It conjures remembrances of the Sioux Indians and the Wounded Knee Massacre, with pictures of Native Americans dying and being buried in mass graves by victorious looking soldiers. It appears to be only a small blip in history, just another instance of the mistreatment of the native people who inhabited this land first but fell victim to America’s Manifest Destiny, seemingly insignificant, a shadow, almost a ghost in the history books. However, the Plains Ghost Dance was more …show more content…
The Ghost Dance began to spread across the Plains, but certain tribes were more likely than others to participate in this ceremony. Thornton has examined the spread of the Ghost Dance, and he concludes that size of a tribe is an important factor in whether or not the dance was adopted (93). He asserts that this is because smaller tribes felt more threatened by the incoming Europeans and the population declines that resulted from disease and life on reservations; the promise of the return of lost relatives would increase the size of the tribes and help the Native Americans continue their lives and traditions (Thornton 92-93). This claim reflects the idea that the Ghost Dance provided hope during a grim time. It was an opportunity for native people to reclaim their lives and civilization. While the Ghost Dance mainly affected these smaller tribes, some larger tribes participated as well (Thornton 94-05). The participation of tribes of different sizes shows that the dance had far greater implications than simply increasing the size of a population. It was a path to reunite with loved ones who had been lost, as well as to recover a traditional lifestyle when the buffalo returned and diseases were
Theda Perdue`s Cherokee Women: Gender and Culture Change, 1700-1835, is a book that greatly depicts what life had been like for many Native Americans as they were under European Conquering. This book was published in 1998, Perdue was influenced by a Cherokee Stomp Dance in northeastern Oklahoma. She had admired the Cherokee society construction of gender which she used as the subject of this book. Though the title Cherokee Women infers that the book focuses on the lives of only Cherokee women, Perdue actually shines light upon the way women 's roles affected the Native cultures and Cherokee-American relations. In the book, there is a focus on the way that gender roles affected the way different tribes were run in the 1700 and 1800`s.
The website I chose for this assignment is http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-ghostdance.html. I chose this website because it looked like it had a lot of information about my topic and there were pictures on the side to help me. It also was last reviewed not too long ago so that shows that the information should be reliable and trustworthy. This site is related to what were are talking because the Ghost Dance movement basically led to the Wounded Knee Massacre.
Katherine Dettwyler is author of Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa and an American Anthropologist. Her work for this book is specifically concentrated on her inquisitiveness for nutritional anthropology in malnourished West African children by researching health and infant cultural practices. She provides vivid descriptions and multiple vignettes of her personal fieldwork encounters with children in Mali, Africa. Diversified topics pertaining to ethnocentrism of are investigated and significant to understand in this particular study. Culture shock, child care, roles of both women and men in different societies, control of population, breastfeeding customs, and definitions of disability and mortality for children are included.
Spiritual ceremonies and traditions have been and still remain a huge part of Native American culture. Through these ceremonies, often performed on the sacred lands found on public government property, individuals believe that spiritual harmony of life can be maintained and achieved. These ceremonies, attended by many individuals, both Native American and Christian, took place on rural sacred land that the Native Americans held close to their hearts. However, over time, tribes were taken from their sacred lands and moved to areas where their practices were restricted or completely cut off. Throughout Sacred Lands and Religious Freedom, Vine Delora argues that the problem lies within basic human understanding.
Parents helplessly watched their children die from starvation. They were treated cruelly, like animals. Finally in the late 1880's The Ghost Dance began, a dance to restore the past when Indian nations were free.. It makes me sick that these people were treated so inhumanely that some of them that had joined the dance, died from sheer exhaustion from dancing so hard in hopes it would bring relief from their suffering. And then, as if they had not endured enough, the U.S government outlaws the dance because it scared them and made them uncomfortable.
Indians have always had their things taken from them by whites. However, the U.S. Government may have gone too far on this one. After being taken from their original lands and put on small reservations, some Indians have been wanting all whites to suffer. These people of the Sioux tribe were called Ghost Dancers. They believed if they did a certain dance, their gods would destroy the U.S. and similar establishments.
The Navajo and the Modoc: Mythological comparison In the myths “When Grizzlies Walked Upright” and “The Navajo Origin Legend”, we get a glimpse of the beliefs of traditional Native American societies. The former myth is one told by the Modoc tribe of Oregon, the other is told by the Navajo tribe of the American Southwest. The different uses of animals, spirits, and women’s roles help create an illustration of society before colonization. These myths do also differ on these themes and on how they are presented.
Once they recovered, they would tell the medicine man of the tribe about their vision and he would interpret them in an attempt to commune with the dead and tell the future. The dance was also performed for political and religious reasons, as practicing the Lakota religious ceremonies had been outlawed by the government during this time. The Lakota people viewed the dance as a form of rebellion and a returning to the old ways of their
It was similar to the Ghost Dance proper in its excitement over immediate supernatural phenomenon. They must refuse alcohol and limit their contact with Euro-Americans. This religious
Native American dance theater is something everyone should consider watching at some point in their life. To many people, Native American dance theater at first glance may only appear to be like any other ordinary dance theater, when it actually actually consists of a much more rich and insightful teaching of what the Native American people were really like. What Native American Dance theater essentially is is a history lesson packed with an elegant style, deep meaning, and plenty of symbolism. This style of dancing has been around for as long as the Native people have been, When watching one of these dances, the first thing that pops into mind is the elegance and grace of the dances.
They serve as powerful vehicles for cultural expression, connecting individuals with their ancestors, the natural world, and the spiritual realm. These musical elements embody the resilience, strength, and enduring spirit of Native American communities, shining a light on their rich cultural heritage in the face of historical oppression. By incorporating traditional instruments, vocal techniques, and cultural elements, Native American songs provide a powerful means of cultural preservation, resilience, and resistance against the injustices faced by Native American communities. They continue to inspire and captivate audiences, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for Native American heritage and the ongoing struggles and triumphs of indigenous
Should Sport Teams be Allowed to use Native American Mascots and names? The use of Native American mascots and names in college and professional sports has become very controversial throughout the years. Some say it is only to honor and respect the tribe. Others think they are only racial slurs and is intended to make fun of the Native American culture.
Sanapia’s position as the Eagle doctor in her community makes her the “symbol of the Comanche 's ability to withstand the attacks of the ghosts. She also serves as the necessary key to the psychological reintegration of marginal Comanches who have "employed" the ghost-sickness” (Jones 90). As the connection to Comanche tradition decreases in the younger generations, and Sanapia being only eagle doctor around with the ability to recognize and authenticate an individual’s ghost sickness claim/ experience, she is the only avenue through which individuals can continue their cultural participation, extricate themselves from the white man’s cultural tether, and silently extol their cultural
Buckle your seatbelts boys and girls because today the topic is going to be about those three things. The Native Americans had a very important ceremony called the sun dance (Wiwanke
Throughout history, there have been many literary studies that focused on the culture and traditions of Native Americans. Native writers have worked painstakingly on tribal histories, and their works have made us realize that we have not learned the full story of the Native American tribes. Deborah Miranda has written a collective tribal memoir, “Bad Indians”, drawing on ancestral memory that revealed aspects of an indigenous worldview and contributed to update our understanding of the mission system, settler colonialism and histories of American Indians about how they underwent cruel violence and exploitation. Her memoir successfully addressed past grievances of colonialism and also recognized and honored indigenous knowledge and identity.