Skip to Content
"Ghost Dance: Last Hope of the Sioux" by Dorothy M. Johnson

The paper paints a picture of desperation and hope among the Lakota people in the late 19th century. 
  • The Lakota, led by Sitting Bull, are facing extreme hardship. Their primary food source, the buffalo, is gone, their attempts at farming have failed, and disease is rampant. They are starving and have lost hope.
  • A Glimmer of Hope: News of a new Messiah, Wovoka, spreads among the tribes. He promises a return to the old ways, with the buffalo restored and the white settlers gone. The Lakota, desperate for a miracle, embrace this message.
  • The Ghost Dance: The new religion involves a sacred dance and songs. Kicking Bear, a Lakota leader who has met Wovoka, returns to teach the dance to Sitting Bull and others. They believe that by performing this dance, they can hasten the coming of the new world Wovoka has promised.
  • Foreshadowing: The article ends with Kicking Bear's declaration that he can make seven priests, hinting at the growing momentum of the Ghost Dance movement. However, the title and introduction foreshadow a tragic end, referencing Wounded Knee, a massacre that marked the brutal suppression of the Ghost Dance by the US government. 
Rating
0 0

There are no comments for now.

to be the first to leave a comment.

aLayer','GTM-M4W8NRNS');