mooney] BLACK COYOTE 897 



the winter season, at the request of the Wichitas, for which I understand they paid 

 him $50 before starting, but everything that was given him while at this camp 

 was a voluntary gift, prompted entirely by the good wishes of the giver. lie took 

 but little property away when he left, and I saw but one horse that I thought he 

 had not brought down with him. 



Upon being asked concerning his religion, he said that all 1 had heard must not 

 be attributed to him, as some of ic was false; that ho does not believe that he saw 

 the veritable "Jesus" alive in the north, but he did see a man there whom "Jesus" 

 bad helped or inspired. This person told him that if he persevered in the dance it 

 would cause sickness and death to disappear. He avoided some of the questions 

 about the coming of the buffalo, etc. and under the circumstances it was not possi- 

 ble to draw him out further, and the subject of religion was then dropped, with the 

 intention of taking it up at a more favorable time, but. this time never came. A 

 great many of the doings seen at these dances are the afterthoughts of all kinds of 

 people. I have seen some of them arise and have watched their growth. These are 

 not the teachings of Sitting Bull, although he refrains from interfering with them 

 through policy. He took no part in the humbuggery going ou. but danced and 

 sang like the humblest individual there. These things, taken in connection with 

 Apiatafi's letter, would make it seem that Sitting Bull has been a dupe himself 

 partly, and there is a possibility that he is largely sincere in his teachings. There is 

 this to be said in his favor, that be has given these people a better religion than they 

 ever had before, taught them precepts which if faithfully carried out will bring 

 them into better accord with their white neighbors, and has prepared the way for 

 their final ( 'hristianizatiou. For this he is entitled to no little credit. (C. I)., 54. | 



He made no claim to be a regular medicine-man, and so far as known 

 never went into a trance himself. Since the failure of his predictions, 

 especially with regard to the recovery of the ceded reservation, he has 

 fallen from his high estate. Truth compels us also to state that, in spite 

 of his apostolic character, he is about as uncertain in his movements as 

 the average Indian. 



After Sitting Bull, the principal leader of the Ghost dance among the 

 southern Arapaho is Wa'tan-ga'a or Black Coyote, from whom the 

 town of W'atonga, in Canadian county, derives its name. Black Coyote 

 is a man of considerable importance both in his tribe and in his own esti- 

 mation, and aspires to be a leader in anything that concerns his people. 

 With a natural predisposition to religious things, it is the dream of his 

 life to be a great priest and medicine-man. At the same time he keeps 

 a sharp lookout for his temporal affairs, and has managed to accu- 

 mulate considerable property in wagons and livestock, including three 

 wives. Although still a young man, being but little more than 40 years 

 of age, he has had his share of the world's honors, being not only a 

 leader in the Ghost dance and other Indian ceremonies, tribal delegate 

 tn Washington, and captain of the Indian police, but also, in his new 

 character of an American citizen, deputy sheriff of Canadian county. 

 He is a good-natured fellow, and vain of his possessions and titles, but 

 at the same time thoroughly loyal and reliable in the discharge of his 

 duties, and always ready to execute his orders at whatever personal 

 risk. Uis priestly ambition led him to make the journey to the north, 

 in which he brought back the first songs of the Ghost dance, and thus 

 became a leader, and a year later he headed a delegation from Okla- 



