780 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.ann.h 



of considerable difficulty and hardship, the Indians were at last iully 

 satisfied that I was really desirous of learning the truth concerning 

 their new religion. A few days after my visit to Left Hand, several of 

 the delegates who had been sent out in the preceding August came 

 down to see me, headed by Black Short Nose, a Cheyenne. After pre- 

 liminary greetings, he stated that the Cheyenne and Arapaho were 

 now convinced that I would tell the truth about their religion, and as 

 they loved their religion and were anxious to have the whites know 

 that it was all good and contained nothing bad or hostile they would 

 now give me the message which the messiah himself had given to them, 

 that I might take it back to show to Washington. He then took from 

 a beaded pouch and gave to me a letter, which proved to be the mes- 

 sage or statement of the doctrine delivered by Wovoka to the Cheyenne 

 and Arapaho delegates, of whom Black Short Nose was one, on the 

 occasion of their last visit to Nevada, in August, 1891, and written 

 down on the spot, in broken English, by one of the Arapaho delegates, 

 Casper Edson, a young man who had acquired some English educa- 

 tion by several years' attendance at the government Indian school at 

 Carlisle, Pennsylvania. On the reverse page of the paper was a dupli- 

 cate in somewhat better English, written out by a daughter of Black 

 Short Nose, a school girl, as dictated by her father on his return. These 

 letters contained the message to be delivered to the two tribes, and as is 

 expressly stated in the text were not intended to be seen by a white 

 man. The daughter of Black Short Nose had attempted to erase this 

 clause before her father brought the letter down to me, but the lines 

 were still plainly visible. It is the genuine official statement of the 

 Ghost-dance doctrine as given by the messiah himself to his disciples. 

 It is reproduced here in duplicate and verbatim, just as received, with 

 a translation for the benefit of those not accustomed to Carlisle English. 

 In accordance with the request of the Indians, 1 brought the original 

 to Washington, where it was read by the Indian Commissioner, Honor- 

 able T. J. Morgan, after which I had two copies made, giving one to 

 the commissioner and retaining the other myself, returning the original 

 to its owner, Black Short Nose. 



The Messiah Letter (Arapaho version) 



What you got home you make dance, and will give >'"" the same, when you dance 

 four days and "' '"-'" one day, dance day time, five days and then lift, will wash live 

 for every body. He likes you fl " k you give him good many things, he heart been 

 satting feel good. After you get home, will give good cloud, and give you chance to 

 make you feel good, and he give you good spirit, and he give you nl a good paint. 



You folks want you to come in three [mouths] here, any tribs from there. There 

 will be good bit snow this year. Sometimes rain's, in fall, this year some rain, never 

 give you any thing like that, grandfather said when In- die never " u cry. no 

 hurt anybody, no light, good behave always, it will give you satisfaction, this 



young man, he is a g 1 Father aud mother, dont tell no white man. .lueses was 



on ground, lie just like cloud. Every body is alive again, I dont know when they 

 will [be] here, may be this fall or iu spring. 



