mooijey] selwyn's report 799 



western Sioux, and had afterward repeated this information to the 

 agent at Yankton. While Kuwapi was in his custody Selwyn ques- 

 tioned him at length concerning the new doctrine, and forwarded the 

 following report [G. /'.. Document 36861—1890) of the interview to 



Agent Foster: 



Yankton Agency, South Dakota, 



November .'.', 1890. 

 Colonel E. W. Foster, 



United States Indian Agent, Yankton Agency, Smith Dakota. 



Dear Sir: It has Wen reported here a few .lavs age. that there was an Indian 

 visitor up at White Swan trc.ru Rosebud agency who has been telling or teaching 

 the doctrines of the new messiah, and has made some agitation among the people 

 up there. According to the request of Captain Conrad, United States Army, of 

 Fort Randall, South Dakota, and by your order of the L'lst instant. 1 went up to 

 White Swan and have arrested the wanted man I Kuwapi. or One they chased after). 

 On my way to the agency with the prisoner I have made little interview with him 

 on the Bubject of the new messiah. The following are the facts which he corrobo- 

 rated concerning the new messiah. his laws and doctrines to the Indians of this 

 continent: 



Q. Do you believe in tin- new messiah.'— A. I somewhat believe it. 



Q. What mad.- you believe ii f— A. Because I ate some of the buffalo meat that he 

 (the new messiah i sent to the Rosebud Indians through Short Bull. 



Q. Did Short Hull say that he saw the living herd of roaming bnffaloes while he 

 was with the son of the Great Spirit?— A. Short Bull told the Indians at Rosebud 

 thai the buffalo and other wild game will I.e. restored to the Indians at the same 

 time when the general resurrection in favor of the Indians takes place. 



Q. You said a "general resurrection in favor of the Indians takes place;" when or 

 how soon will this he?— A. The lather sends word to us that he will have all these 

 caused to be so in the spring, when the grass is knee high. 



Q. You said '-father;" who is this father?— A. It is the new messiah. He has 

 ordered his children (Indians! to eall him "father." 



Q. You said the father is not going to send the buffalo until the resurrection takes 

 place. Would he be able to send a lew buffaloes over this way for a sort of a sample, 

 so as to have his children (Indians) to have a taste of the meat?— A. The father 

 ■wishes to do things all at once, even in destroying the white race. 



Q. You said something about the destroying of the white race. Do you mean to 

 say that all mankind except the Indians will be killed?— A. Yes. 



Q. How. and who is going to kill the white people?— A. The father is going to 

 cause abig cyclone or whirlwind, by whieh he will have all the white people to perish. 



Q. If it (should be a cyclone or whirlwind, what are we going to do to protect our- 

 selves?— A. The father will make some kind of provisions by which we will be saved. 



Q. Y*ou said something about the coming destruction on the white people by your 

 father. Supposing your father is sick, tired out, forget, or some other accidental 

 cause by whieh he should not be able to accomplish his purpose, what -would be 

 the case about the destroying of the white people?— A. There is no doubt about 

 these things, as the miracle performer or the father is going to do just as what he 

 said he would do. 



Q. What other object could you come to by whieh you are led to believe that there 

 is such a new messiah on earth at present '.— A. The ghost dancers are fainted 

 whenever the dance goes on. 



Q. Do you believe that they are really fainted? — A. Yes. 



(}. What makes you believe that the dancers have really fainted?— A. Because 

 wheu they wake or come back to their senses they sometimes bring back some news 

 from the uuknown world, and some little trinkets, such a3 buffalo tail, buffalo 

 meat, etc. 



14 ETII — PT 2 1 1 



