Ghost Dance Movement Research Paper

The late 19th century in the United States was marked by significant social and cultural upheaval, particularly for Indigenous peoples whose traditional ways of life were increasingly threatened by government policies and westward expansion. One notable response to these challenges was the Ghost Dance movement, which emerged among various Native American tribes in the 1890s. This paper will explore the origins, beliefs, practices, and consequences of the Ghost Dance movement, shedding light on its significance in Native American history. The Ghost Dance movement originated with the Paiute prophet Wovoka, also known as Jack Wilson, in the late 1880s. Wovoka experienced a vision during a solar eclipse in 1889, during which he claimed to have been taken to the spirit …show more content…
The dance was performed in specific regalia, often adorned with symbolic elements representing spiritual connections to nature and the cosmos. The Ghost Dance movement spread rapidly among various Native American tribes across the Great Plains and the western United States. It offered hope and solace to communities ravaged by centuries of colonization, displacement, and violence. For many, the Ghost Dance became not only a religious practice but also a form of resistance against the oppressive forces of settler colonialism. The growing popularity of the Ghost Dance movement among Native American tribes alarmed federal authorities, who viewed it as a potential threat to their control over Indigenous populations. In 1890, tensions reached a boiling point at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where the Lakota Sioux were actively participating in the Ghost Dance ritual. The U.S. government dispatched troops to suppress what they perceived as a rebellion, leading to the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29,