mooney] AREA OF THE DANCE 927 



small minority ever engaged in it. Only about one half of the 26,000 

 Sioux took an active part iu it. It may safely be said, however, that 

 the doctrine and ceremony of the Ghost dance found more adherents 

 among our tribes than any similar Indian religious movement within 

 the historic period, with the single possible exception of the crusade 

 inaugurated by Tenskwatawa, the Shawano prophet, in 1805. (See 

 plate lxxxv.) 



PRESENT CONDITION OF THE DANCE 



Among most of these tribes the movement is already extinct, having 

 died a natural death, excepting in the case of the Sioux. The Sho- 

 shoni and some others lost faith in it after the failure of the first pre- 

 dictions. The Sioux probably discontinued the dance before the final 

 surrender, as the battle of Wounded Knee and the subsequent events 

 convinced even the most fanatic believers that their expectations of 

 invulnerability and supernatural assistance were deceptive. The 1'ai- 

 ute were yet dancing a year ago. and as their dream has received no 

 such rude awakening as among the Sioux, they are probably still 

 patiently awaiting the great deliverance, in spite of repeated postpone- 

 ments, although the frenzied earnestness of the early period lias long 

 ago abated. The Kiowa, who discarded the doctrine on the adverse 

 report of A'piatan, have recently taken up the dance again and are 

 now dancing as religiously as ever under the leadership of the old men, 

 although the progressive element in the tribe is strongly opposed to it. 

 Amoug the other tribes in Oklahoma — especially the Arapaho, Chey- 

 enne, Caddo, Wichita, Pawnee, and Oto — the Ghost dance has become 

 apart of the tribal life and is still performed at frequent intervals, 

 although the feverish expectation of a few years ago has now settled 

 down into something closely approaching the Christian hope of a 

 reunion with departed friends in a happier world at some time in the 

 unknown future. 



As for the great messiah himself, when last heard from Wovoka was 

 on exhibition as an attraction at the Midwinter fair in San Francisco. 

 By this time he has doubtless retired into his original obscurity. 



14 ETH— PT 2 19 



