Interested to learn more about this Native American movement and what became of it. Here's what i found so far asking the google god:
www.webcoves.com/circles/ghost.html
History of the GHOSTDANCE
The Ghostdance has its origins about 150 years ago, when the Native American peoples were still free. They were nomadic people, moving with the seasons, the buffalo and their guiding spirits. The tribespeople lived in close communion with nature. Tribes varied and celebrated their differences, had their own folklore, beliefs, customs and were free to do so.
America, to the western mind was property to be acquired. Missionaries and others with "compassion" felt that the indigenous peoples - Indians - must be civilized. Many others just wanted them destroyed. The nomadic lifestyle of the Indians clashed with notions of property ownership and governance of the people. And as the White Man moved ever westward, more and more land was "claimed" for ownership, leaving the Indian tribespeople bewildered. The new government "reserved" the poorest acreage for the "Red people" to live upon. No more were they free to follow the buffalo. Diverse tribes were herded into these 'reservations' to much anger and discontent. But the White Man was afraid of these gathered peoples whom they viewed as evil savages.
General Sherman lead a campaign to quell those tribes who were not accepting the reservations. "The only good indians I ever saw were dead" Sherman is quoted as having written to his brother. This changed slightly to become the all-too-popular expression of Anti-Indian prejudice:" The only good Indian is a dead Indian". This campaign was known as 'The Campaign of Extermination' and General Sherman pursued his goals with intense hatred for the Red peoples.Many died who tried to fight back. The Indian Nations were effectively cowed - their spirit broken and morale gone - by the late 1880's.
However, a Sioux shaman would make a journey to the south, and there he would learn the Ghostdance. He visited the Peiote tribe, meeting another shaman who told him to gaze within a hat. He claimed he began walking in another world: The Old World. This was the world before the white man came and took the land and the buffalo away. The great herds roamed free and the tribes after them. The shaman was able to walk with the ghosts of the ancestors and they taught him this chant and the dance that goes with it.
(One of many variations):
I Circle Around, I Circle Around The Boundaries Of the Earth..
I Circle Around, I Circle Around The Boundaries Of the Earth
HEYA HEYA HEYA HEYA
Wearing my long brown feathers as I fly...
Wearing my long brown feathers as I fly...
The shaman brought this dance back to the Sioux People. Gathering them at one place, he told them that if they purified themselves and then danced this dance, the new (White Man's ) world, with all its corruption, would just roll up. Underneath would be the Old World as it had always been. He gave the people white shirts, emblazoned with the sun, the stars, and the moon upon them. These were believed to be magical, the white man's bullets would not be able to pierce them. The Sioux went to the sweat lodges and performed purification rituals. Then they put on their white shirts and danced around a pine tree. They linked hands in a huge circle, dancing around first in one direction, then the other. With the "Heya(s)" they stamped their feet. Spreading their arms like wings, they whirled around as they sang the last two lines. In time to the chanting, they repeated the dance cycle again and again.
News of it spread and across North America, tribes started dancing their own Ghostdances. The Ghostdance grew among the various tribes, with larger and larger numbers, and the tribespeople became more certain that the Old World was coming back. By dancing they would become free again. But the American government got nervous. Hundreds of discontented Indians, gathering in such numbers, and with such strong sense of identity sounded too dangerous.In 1890 more than 250 Sioux men, women and children gathered together and began Ghostdancing . They were at a place called Wounded Knee Creek. General Sherman arrived with his troops, and seeing the dancers, opened fire on them.
... all but a few of the Ghostdancers were massacred...
But now, 150 years later, the Ghostdance again is gathering momentum. It is still is believed that if enough people join, maybe the door can be opened to remake our world and bring back the lands of our ancestors. And again, the American government worries about Ghostdancers.
www.webcoves.com/circles/ghost.html
History of the GHOSTDANCE
The Ghostdance has its origins about 150 years ago, when the Native American peoples were still free. They were nomadic people, moving with the seasons, the buffalo and their guiding spirits. The tribespeople lived in close communion with nature. Tribes varied and celebrated their differences, had their own folklore, beliefs, customs and were free to do so.
America, to the western mind was property to be acquired. Missionaries and others with "compassion" felt that the indigenous peoples - Indians - must be civilized. Many others just wanted them destroyed. The nomadic lifestyle of the Indians clashed with notions of property ownership and governance of the people. And as the White Man moved ever westward, more and more land was "claimed" for ownership, leaving the Indian tribespeople bewildered. The new government "reserved" the poorest acreage for the "Red people" to live upon. No more were they free to follow the buffalo. Diverse tribes were herded into these 'reservations' to much anger and discontent. But the White Man was afraid of these gathered peoples whom they viewed as evil savages.
General Sherman lead a campaign to quell those tribes who were not accepting the reservations. "The only good indians I ever saw were dead" Sherman is quoted as having written to his brother. This changed slightly to become the all-too-popular expression of Anti-Indian prejudice:" The only good Indian is a dead Indian". This campaign was known as 'The Campaign of Extermination' and General Sherman pursued his goals with intense hatred for the Red peoples.Many died who tried to fight back. The Indian Nations were effectively cowed - their spirit broken and morale gone - by the late 1880's.
However, a Sioux shaman would make a journey to the south, and there he would learn the Ghostdance. He visited the Peiote tribe, meeting another shaman who told him to gaze within a hat. He claimed he began walking in another world: The Old World. This was the world before the white man came and took the land and the buffalo away. The great herds roamed free and the tribes after them. The shaman was able to walk with the ghosts of the ancestors and they taught him this chant and the dance that goes with it.
(One of many variations):
I Circle Around, I Circle Around The Boundaries Of the Earth..
I Circle Around, I Circle Around The Boundaries Of the Earth
HEYA HEYA HEYA HEYA
Wearing my long brown feathers as I fly...
Wearing my long brown feathers as I fly...
The shaman brought this dance back to the Sioux People. Gathering them at one place, he told them that if they purified themselves and then danced this dance, the new (White Man's ) world, with all its corruption, would just roll up. Underneath would be the Old World as it had always been. He gave the people white shirts, emblazoned with the sun, the stars, and the moon upon them. These were believed to be magical, the white man's bullets would not be able to pierce them. The Sioux went to the sweat lodges and performed purification rituals. Then they put on their white shirts and danced around a pine tree. They linked hands in a huge circle, dancing around first in one direction, then the other. With the "Heya(s)" they stamped their feet. Spreading their arms like wings, they whirled around as they sang the last two lines. In time to the chanting, they repeated the dance cycle again and again.
News of it spread and across North America, tribes started dancing their own Ghostdances. The Ghostdance grew among the various tribes, with larger and larger numbers, and the tribespeople became more certain that the Old World was coming back. By dancing they would become free again. But the American government got nervous. Hundreds of discontented Indians, gathering in such numbers, and with such strong sense of identity sounded too dangerous.In 1890 more than 250 Sioux men, women and children gathered together and began Ghostdancing . They were at a place called Wounded Knee Creek. General Sherman arrived with his troops, and seeing the dancers, opened fire on them.
... all but a few of the Ghostdancers were massacred...
But now, 150 years later, the Ghostdance again is gathering momentum. It is still is believed that if enough people join, maybe the door can be opened to remake our world and bring back the lands of our ancestors. And again, the American government worries about Ghostdancers.
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Tue, June 28, 2005 - 10:04 AMBeautiful! Thank you for sharing this! -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Wed, October 26, 2005 - 5:47 PMBull shit. I dont intend to debate only to express my knowledge which Ive gained so that I can help with a straight positive mind. The ghost dance is a hoax. The old religeon of the tribes is still alive, and it is just that, a living philosophy. When you read what Americans have wrote about Savages, they often contain a grain of truth. However, the US G would interupt all sacred dance ceremonies, destroy any supernatural objects, humiliate and abuse the people, and the ghost dance lie is an abuse to the true shamans that teach us the real dances of survival for today.
There are movements created by the US G that depict NEW religeous ceromonies for the purpose of leading people who dont know who they (themselves) are astray. The plain truth is the old religeon still exists and the sacred dances that keep the world balanced are practiced on all four courners of the Earth.
My special tribe needs to grow so find out from me how the Great Spirit is alive. -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Thu, October 27, 2005 - 1:08 PMAny proof that it was a hoax Evan. Back it up yo! -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Sat, October 29, 2005 - 2:57 PMSorry The Great Spirit didn't give me proof yet!
The Ghostdance Movement was only part of the details of how the US G has innsurrected the Old Religeon.
I can give you some examples of other lies.
Well the Black Elk religeon was made up after Wounded knee, and the long house of Handsome lake was a fake religeon, invented by the military.
Black Elk was a protocol observer(silence is consent)who observed the murder of his own tribe in a black robe and white colar. The US G told him if he witnessed it he would be famous.
The Military made at least 3 fake relgeons that they taught to lead people away from the Great Spirit, and if you have patience one day you'll find the truth about the Ghost Dance. The Great Spirit sets a time for everything.
The Ghostdance Movement was created after they had allready destroyed much of the valued spiritual possesions of the tribal people, and it's a ritual of people that have lost their way. All people aren't lost so don't be blinded by the light of truth when it opens on you! -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Sat, November 12, 2005 - 1:19 AMAnd you found this information where? I'm certain many would like to compare your comments to the statements about things like Black Elk's motivations, the Ghostdance's creation, etc. NO ONE is going to argue that the US Govt's intent was anything but genocidal, but your statements could use some factual support beyond "this is true".
Sources of where these 'created' religions began perhaps that others can see to lend credibility to your comments here perhaps? Is this information that any others can actually find reference to, or have you had this all "revealed" to you by someone/thing/Spirit?
If what you say is supportable, such arguments could make a BIG difference in the spiritual lives of many. If your comments are based on "top secred stuff that you can't talk about", well it could be readily discounted as so much soap-boxing....
Peace
T -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Thu, November 17, 2005 - 4:31 PMNow watch me do my dance on my cybernetic soap box la la la la -
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Re: Ghostdance Movement
Sun, August 5, 2007 - 3:32 AMThey run Ghostdancing workshops in Glastonbury, one of my friends has been doing it for about 6 months and I'm hoping to join him. I'll be sure to blog my exploits if/when I do.
I'll also try to find out more from my friend.
Finding and working with your spirit guides seems to be a major aspect.
tribes.tribe.net/indiansof...2c9e78431b
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