The Ghost-Dance Religion and Wounded Knee Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a fascinating story about the Ghost Dance hysteria that swept the Great Plains near the end of the 19th century. Following the teachings of Wovoka, a Native American prophet most of the newly reservationized Plains tribes began a series of revival like dances to bring back the buffalo and the dead ancestors to help drive the coquering White man back to his own land. It all ended very tragically in the snow at Wounded Knee as the US Cavalry slaughtered a group of rebellious Sioux.
This is the book to read. Mr Mooney was in Oklahoma doing ethnological work with the Oklahoma Cherokee when this story began to break, and he rushed to the scene to see for himself. As he said in the introduction, he had no idea this reportage would end up taking three years to prepare, but the time he spent makes it a very illuminating read.
He covers the whole topic of Indian Messiahs from the early times of the Delaware Prophet (1760's) through Tecumsehs brother the Shawnee Prophet through all the others till Wovoka. What emereges is a story of people only to well aware of the destructive powers of the White man's goods and mores on their Native culture.
He also examines other cultural excesses such as Baptist camp meetings, Joan of Ark, and numerous other examples of religious attempts to make a better world.
I highly recommend this book. It is hard to believe that it was written in the 1890's the author is so highly empathetic with the dancers, he seems almost totally free of ethnic prejudice.

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