The Ghost-dance religion and the Sioux outbreak of 1890 : $b Fourteenth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology, part 2.Mooney, James
Religion
The Ghost-dance religion and the Sioux outbreak of 1890 : $b Fourteenth annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology, part 2.
Mooney, James
Dakota Indians -- Wars, 1890-1891; Ghost dance
They made sweat house and made holes in the middle of the sweat
house where they say the water will come out of these holes. Before
they begin to dance they all raise their hands toward the northwest
and cry in supplication to the messiah and then begin the dance
with the song, “_Ate misunkala ceya omani-ye_,” etc.
SELWYN’S INTERVIEW WITH KUWAPI
On November 21, 1890, it was reported to Agent E. W. Foster, in charge
of Yankton agency, South Dakota, that an Indian named Kuwapi, from
Rosebud agency, was on the reservation teaching the doctrine and
ceremony of the Ghost dance. He at once had the man arrested by a
force in charge of William T. Selwyn, a full-blood Yankton Sioux, who
had received a fair education under the patronage of a gentleman in
Philadelphia, and who had for several years been employed in various
capacities at different Sioux agencies. Selwyn had recently come from
Pine Ridge, where he had learned and reported to Agent Gallagher
something of the religious excitement among the western Sioux, and
had afterward repeated this information to the agent at Yankton. While
Kuwapi was in his custody Selwyn questioned him at length concerning
the new doctrine, and forwarded the following report (_G. D., Document
36861—1890_) of the interview to Agent Foster:
+Yankton Agency, South Dakota+,
_November 22, 1890_.
Colonel +E. W. Foster+,
_United States Indian Agent, Yankton Agency, South Dakota_.
+Dear Sir+: It has been reported here a few days ago that there was
an Indian visitor up at White Swan from Rosebud agency who has been
telling or teaching the doctrines of the new messiah, and has made
some agitation among the people up there. According to the request
of Captain Conrad, United States Army, of Fort Randall, South
Dakota, and by your order of the 21st instant, I went up to White
Swan and have arrested the wanted man (Kuwapi, or One they chased
after). On my way to the agency with the prisoner I have made
little interview with him on the subject of the new messiah. The
following are the facts which he corroborated concerning the new
messiah, his laws and doctrines to the Indians of this continent:
Q. Do you believe in the new messiah?—A. I somewhat believe it.
Q. What made you believe it?—A. Because I ate some of the buffalo
meat that he (the new messiah) sent to the Rosebud Indians through
Short Bull.
Q. Did Short Bull say that he saw the living herd of roaming
buffaloes while he was with the son of the Great Spirit?—A. Short
Bull told the Indians at Rosebud that the buffalo and other wild
game will be restored to the Indians at the same time when the
general resurrection in favor of the Indians takes place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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