894 THK GHOST-DANCE KELIGION [eth.ank.14 



Bull," it was necessarj that he should go to theui at once, so that they 

 might " accepl the teaching of the pansy and its motto, which now 

 they only partially or very doubtfully accept." 



Receiving no answer, he wrote again about the end of March, both 

 to the Secretary and to the Indian Commissioner, stating that messiahs, 

 being human, were subject to human limitations, of which fact the 

 Indians were well aware, but warning these officials that if these limi- 

 tations were set by the government it would be held responsible for 

 bis nonappearance to the Indians, as he had promised, "before the 

 native pansies blossom on the prairies." He ends by stating that he 

 would leave on Easter Sunday for the Sioux country, but as nothing was 

 heard of him later, it is presumed that he succumbed to the limitations. 

 (<!. V., 52.) 



The first direct knowledge of the messiah and the Ghost dance came 

 to the northern Arapaho in Wyoming, through Nakash, "Sage," who, 

 with several Shoshoni, visited the messiah in the early spring of 1889, 

 and on his return brought back to his people the first songs of the 

 dance, these being probably some of the original Paiute songs of the 

 messiah himself. The Ghost dance was at once inaugurated among 

 the Shoshoni and northern Arapaho. In the summer of the same year 

 the first rumors of the new redeemer reached the southern Arapaho 

 and Cheyenne in Oklahoma, through the medium of letters written by 

 returned pupils of eastern government schools. 



Fresh reports of wonderful things beyond the mountains were con- 

 stantly coming to the northern prairie tribes, and the excitement grew 

 until the close of the year 1889, when a large delegation, including 

 Sioux, northern Cheyenne, and northern Arapaho, crossed the moun- 

 tains to the Paiute country to see and talk with the messiah. Among 

 the Sioux delegates were Short Bull, Fire Thunder, and Kicking Bear, 

 as already stated. Among the Cheyenne were Porcupine and several 

 others, including one woman. The Arapaho representatives were Sit- 

 ting Bull (Hiinii'chii -tlii'ak) and Friday. The delegates from the differ- 

 ent tribes met at Wind River reservation, in Wyoming, which they left 

 about Christmas, and after stopping a short time among the Bannock 

 and Shoshoni at Fort Hall, went on to Walker lake, in Nevada. They 

 were gone some time and returned to Wyoming in March of 1890, the 

 Sioux and Cheyenne continuing on to their homes farther cast. Accord- 

 ing to the statement of Nakash they had a five days' conference with the 

 messiah, who at one time went into a trance, but his visitors did not. 



Before tbeir return the southern Arapaho, in Oklahoma, had sent up 

 Wa'tan-ga'a, "black Coyote," an officer of the Indian police, and 

 Washee, a scout at Fort Reno, to their relatives in Wyoming to learn 

 definitely as to the truth or falsity of the rumors. Washee went on to 

 Port Hall, where his faith failed him, and he came back with the report 

 that the messiah was only a half-blood. This was not correct, but 

 Washee himself afterward acknowledged that he had based his report 



