772 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.ann.14 



back and tell liis people they must be good and love one another, have 

 no quarreling, and live in peace with the whites; that they must work, 

 and not lie or steal; that they must put away all tbe old practices 

 that savored of war ; that if they faithfully obeyed his instructions they 

 would at last be reunited with their friends in this other world, where 

 there would be no more death or sickness or old age. He was then 

 given the dance which he was commanded to bring back to his people. 

 By performing this dance at intervals, for five consecutive days each 

 time, they would secure this happiness to themselves and hasten the 

 event. Finally God gave him control over the elements so that he 

 could make it rain or snow or be dry at will, and appointed him his 

 deputy to take charge of affairs in the west, while "Governor Harrison" 

 would attend to matters in the east, and he, God, would look after the 

 world above. He then returned to earth and began to preach as he 

 was directed, convincing the people by exercising the wonderful powers 

 that had been given him. 



In 1890 Josephus, a Paiute informant, thus described to the scout 

 Chapman the occasion of Wovoka's first inspiration: ''About three 

 years ago Jack Wilson took his family and went into the mountains 

 to cut wood for Mr Dave Wilson. One day while at work he heard a 

 great noise which appeared to be above him on the mountain. He laid 

 down his ax and started to go in the direction of the noise, when he fell 

 down dead, and God came and took him to heaven." Afterward on 

 one or two other occasions "God came and took him to heaven again." 

 Wovoka also told Chapman that he had theu been preaching to the 

 Indians about three years. In our conversation he said nothing about 

 a mysterious noise, and stated that it was about two years since he had 

 visited heaven and received his great revelation, but that it was about 

 four years since he had first taught the dance to his people. The fact 

 that he has different revelations from time to time would account for 

 the discrepancy of statement. 



He disclaimed all responsibility for the ghost shirt which formed so 

 important a part of the dance costume among the Sioux ; said that there 

 were no trances in the dance as performed among his people — a state- 

 ment confirmed by eye-wituesses among the neighboring ranchmen — 

 and earnestly repudiated any idea of hostility toward the whites, assert- 

 ing that his religion was one of universal peace. When questioned 

 directly, he said he believed it was better for the Indians to follow the 

 white man's road and to adopt the habits of civilization. If appear- 

 ances are in evidence he is sincere in this, for he was dressed in a good 

 suit of white man's clothing, and works regularly on a ranch, although 

 living in a wikiup. While he repudiated almost everything for which 

 he had been held responsible in the east, he asserted positively that 

 he had been to the spirit world and had been given a revelation 

 and message from God himself, with full control over the elements. 

 From his uncle. I learned that Wovoka lias live songs for making it 



