The ghost dance society gained popularity in early 1880 when the Sioux Indian people in the west were experiencing the loss of their traditional land and resources and the destruction of their way of life. Most of their people were dying of illness.(Utter,4) Their children were being taken away from them and they were being confined to reservations. The Sioux were desperate. Even their religion was being changed by the whites.

On January 1, 1889 a Paiute Shaman named Wovoka had a vision of world renewal for the plains Indians and their ancestors. Wovoka himself believed he was Christ the son of Go

d(Utter,4). God ordered that Wovoka summon Indians from all tribes to hear the new message. God would deal with the whites when the time came. In order for this to happen the Indians had to perform a dance called the Dance of Souls departed, or Ghost Dance”(Utter 3). Immediately, Wovoka began preaching among the Paiutes.

Sitting Bull of the Sioux tribe was the leader of the Ghost Dance. Sitting Bull was known as an outstanding warrior among the Sioux. Among the whites Sitting Bull was known as a “wild” Sioux. He is also the reason why many of the whites misinterpreted the Ghost Dance. Because Sitting Bull was associated with the Ghost Dance, the white people thought the Ghost Dance was a revolt(La Barre,233).

The Sioux joined the ghost dance society because this was their last hope to returning to their native heritage. They joined with passion, because they believed that this ritual would restore them. They had run out of options. They’d tried doing what the whites asked them to do and every time, the whites betrayed them. They thought ghost dance would save them.

If the Dance was perfor

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