The Ghost Dance - 1998 by Forrest Liggett

The Ghost Dance - 1998 by Forrest Liggett


In 1889 a Paiute prophet named Wovoka had a series of dreams or visions about a new world that was coming. He saw the ground covered with new soil to the depth of many feet. (Revelation 21: 1-4) New mountains rose up. Many white people were destroyed at this time. (3 Nephi 9:98-106) New grass and trees grew and the buffalo returned. Also their dead relatives returned and lived with them. (Revelation 20:4)

To the Native people a dance is a form of worship, a communal prayer, a time when they come together for one purpose, to become of one heart and one mind. It is thought by many people that a great number of fervent prayers for the same reason are more powerful than a single heartfelt prayer.

Wovoka was informed in his vision that if the people would do this dance, sing these songs and pray for a new earth and the return of the relatives, that their efforts would hasten the occurrence of this event. Since the Indians were praying for the return of dead relatives the white people called it a "Ghost Dance."

His vision caught the attention of many tribes, and many spiritual leaders made the trek from the plains over the mountains to the great basin of Nevada to meet this prophet and learn this Ghost Dance religion. These pilgrimages could take several months to complete before returning home. Even without the aid of modem E-Mail and fax, this dance spread thru most of the United States in one year. This new spirit and sharing the same religion caused the white folks to be uneasy so the army was strengthened and put on alert. In December, 1890, about 300 Minniconjou Sioux, Ghost Dancers; men, women and children under the leadership of Chief Big Foot were slaughtered at Wounded Knee Creek. This was the beginning of the end of the Ghost Dance. When a new earth wasn't born in the spring of 1891, many dancers became discouraged. The U.S. Government tried to make the dance illegal. There were still some Ghost dancers in the South; Kiowa, Arapaho, Osage and others until 1893 or maybe a little longer and then if the dance continued it was underground and is not recorded.

A Ghost Dance was held in Montana in 1997. Possibly the first in a hundred years or more. It was sponsored by the Wolflodge organization out of Spokane, Washington. Robert Ghost Wolf is the Spiritual leader. He is Metis', (a mixed blood) Lakota, Iroquois and European. This dance is open to all of the rainbow nation. We are all brothers.

I didn't hear about the dance in 1997, but while in Washington in June 1998 I saw the smoke signals and got a registration form. I prayed about going and everything rapidly fell into place for me to attend. The location in Montana was right on my way home from the Blackfoot camp which I was attending in Canada.

The purpose of the gathering of the Ghost children was to become one people, with one vision; to pray for the earth, for all the changes she will be going thru as she tries to purify from all of the pollution discarded on her by man; and to pray for the people as we pass thru the tribulations and purifications to come.

The camp was held in a beautiful valley at the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was a primitive camp like the ones we hold on the Navajo Reservation. It was 30 miles down gravel roads to the nearest town for supplies. There were about 200 people from all over the country, (a few from overseas) and many different backgrounds. There were full bloods, mixed bloods and no bloods, a true rainbow coalition.
 
There were talks by Hopi elders, Blackfoot elders and a special visit from Orvill Looking Horse, the 19th carrier of the Sacred Lakota Pipe presented by the White Buffalo Woman. After he spoke to us, he left to go to the United Nations to speak to the delegates about world peace and the indigenous peoples.

Several days were spent in preparation, prayers, meditation, purification sweat lodges and lectures by Robert Ghost Wolf. Also there was practice at drumming and dancing for those of us with two left feet. The actual dance went from sundown to sunrise both nights of the full moon. The power and majesty of nature and the Creator was evident in the lightning and thunder that accompanied the drums and dancers the first half of the night. After a brief rain the skies cleared to a full moon and a large rainbow at 2 o'clock in the morning!! Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty.

A change was wrought on most everyone that danced those two nights. A greater awareness of the earth as our living mother and a closer personal relationship with our Creator, the giver of life. The joy and love shared by 200 people that had been complete strangers just a few days earlier was a miracle to behold. I have never seen so much love shared in one place before. A taste of Zion!

Now I see why the Ghost Dance spread so fast a hundred years ago. I too would cross the mountains to find a way to be immersed in this much joy and love from the Creator. To share so much love one for another.

To quote Mark 12:35-36: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This the first commandment, and the second is like this; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandments greater than these."

The Ghost Dance was the closest I have ever come to loving my God and my brothers and sisters with all my strength. As for Indians dancing a hundred years ago for a new earth and an earth that is fresh and clean? Luke said something about that in the 17th chapter, the 39th and 40th verses. (not found in King James version) "For verily there shall be new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. And there shall be no unclean thing; for the earth becometh old, even as a garment, having waxed in corruption, wherefore it vanisheth away, and the footstool remaineth sanctified, cleansed from all sin."

The Ghost Dance, one heart, one mind, one people, one vision. A taste of Zion.

  Aho Mitakyue Oyasin
                                                                                           Forrest Liggett