Ghost Dance Research Paper

Firstly, the reason it has been kept alive is because Native American dance teaches values by incorporating them into their movements and themes. Dancing is a creative and entertaining way to continue teaching younger members of the tribe about what they are to believe. Secondly, Native American dance tells stories of their ancestors. Dances passed down from generation to generation allow the younger generation to understand and interpret the dances and learn about the past. Without dance some tribal members may not know about their history. Finally, Native American dance keeps tradition alive. Dance has been around since the beginning of the Native American people. It is a way to pass on messages and teachings from the earliest tribes. Dance is so essential to Native American history, that it has been transmitted since the earliest Native Americans.

All Indians must dance, everywhere, keep on dancing. Pretty soon in next spring Great Spirit come. He bring back all game of every kind…all dead Indians come back and live again. They all be strong just like young men, be young again. Old blind Indian see again and get young and have fine time. When Great Spirit comes this way, than all the Indians go to mountains, high up away from whites. Whites can't hurt Indians then. Then while Indians way up high, big flood like water and all white people die, get drowned! After that, water go way and then nobody but Indians everywhere and game all kinds thick… (Wovoka, The Paiute Messiah qtd. In Brown 416).

In 1973, Christopher Bruce heard about the murders going on in the small villages and towns of Chile on the orders of the government; just to show off their power, and how they were not afraid to use it. Bruce found out as a result of a letter received from a widow of a Chilean folk singer who had been murdered. He was asked to do work for the Chilean Human Rights Committee. The dance first premiered in 1988, the costume designer being Belinda Scarlett and the music being by Incantation, playing the song ‘Ojos Azules’ which is Spanish for ‘Blue Eyes’.

Most of the women and children in Big Foot's tribe were family members of the warriors who had died in the Plains wars. The Indians had agreed to live on small reservations after the US government took away their land. At the Wounded Knee camp, there were 120 men and 230 women and children. At the camp, they were guarded by the US Seventh Cavalry lead by Major Samuel Whitside. During the year 1890 a new dance called the Ghost Dance started among the Sioux and other tribes. The Sioux's Christ figure, Wovoka, was said to have flown over Sitting Bull and Short Bull and taught them the dance and the songs. The Ghost Dance legend was that the next spring, when the grass was high, the Earth would be covered with a new layer of soil, covering all white men. Wild buffalo and horses would return and there would be swift running water, sweet grass, and new trees. All Indians who danced the Ghost dance would be floating in the air when the new soil was being laid down and would be saved. The Ghost Dance was made illegal after the Wounded Knee massacre though. On December 28, 1890 the Seventh Cavalry saw Big Foot moving his tribe and Big

For many tribes of Plains Indians whose bison-hunting culture flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, the sun dance was the major communal religious ceremony . . . the rite celebrates renewal - the spiritual rebirth of participants and their relatives as well as the regeneration of the living earth with all its components . . . The ritual, involving sacrifice and supplication to insure harmony between all living beings, continues to be practiced by many contemporary native Americans. -Elizabeth Atwood LawrenceAs the most important ritual of the nomadic Plains Indians, the Sun Dance in itself presents many ideas, beliefs, and values of these cultures. Through its rich symbolism and complicated rituals we are able to catch a glimpse

The Paiute's had a special dance that they would do to honor someone. The dance was called the ghost dance. The dancers would wear a ghost shirt and they would make them selfs look like a

The third Mexican cultural activity that has survived and influenced the development of Chicana cultural practices in the U.S. is the Folklorico dances. These dances can be seen in the U.S. especially when there is a Mexican celebration or event. I personally experienced begin part of a group that danced folklorico. The dresses we used for the dance were inspired by the Yucatan look. We also accessorized with a crown of flowers made with fabric, long earrings, and a necklace of perals. We also combed all our hair back, and used make-up. It took alot of time to learn the three dances, and a lot of practice for the dance to come out good. In the end it was all worth it because I learned how to dance and how the women dress to dance. This cultural

One event brought death to over 225 Sioux Indians on December 29, 1890. The Sioux Indians were fighting against themselves until Wovoka created the Ghost Dance Ritual, which is for the peace of the Indians. Due to the frequent use of the rituals the Americans thought of it as a sign of hostility causing the Ghost Dance Wars. The Ghost Dance Wars caused the death of Sitting Bull which did lead to the start and finish of Wounded Knee Battle. The Battle of Wounded Knee lead to the end of the war, starting violence against the Indians, but lead to the Indians rights to return. The Battle of Wounded Knee, a horrific battle, ended The Ghost Dance Wars, and brought up A.I.M which helped the Sioux tribes gain their rights.

On the morning of December 29, 1890, many Sioux Indians (estimated at above two hundred) died at the hands of the United States Army near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Indians were followers of the Ghost Dance religion, devised by Wovoka, a Paiute prophet, as a spiritual outlet for Indian repression by whites. The United States Army set out to intercept this group of Native Americans because they performed the controversial Ghost Dance. Both whites’ and the Sioux’s misunderstanding of an originally peaceful Indian religion culminated in the Battle of Wounded Knee. This essay first shows how the Ghost Dance came about, its later adaptation by the Sioux, and

The three recordings that I chose are Adam Lambert’s Ghost Town, Sully Erna from Godsmack’s Voodoo, and Benjamin Burnley from Breaking Benjamin’s Dairy of Jane. In Ghost Town, Adam Lambert’s voice is very distinctive where he has a smooth, light, and velvety sound for a good portion of the song, however, during some portions, such as towards the ending, his timbre is very dark, rich, and full. Thought the entire song his timbre holds a somber feeling even when singing a considerably light. Sully Erna (the lead singer of Godsmack) during Voodoo has a very raspy, dark, and thin timber.

In the Ghost Dance, Kehoe did a case study of the new revitalization movement called the Ghost Dance which was implemented and spread by Wovoka, also known as, Jack Wilson of the Northern Paiute tribe (Kehoe 1989). Wovoka implored his followers to dance and chant for hours on end with the end result being to reunite with the spirits of the dead and bring them to fight on behalf of the natives against the white colonists (Kehoe 1989). The movement was so seemingly successful that it spread to other tribes and was even reinvented in new ways as it spread (Kehoe

Dance is an art form that takes strength, emotional execution, endurance, discipline, and commitment. “Lengthen your extension for a longer line!”, “Point your toes, it engages all your leg muscles”, “Get higher in that grand jetè!” All sentences that a dancer hears on a regular basis. One sentence that a dancer never wants to hear is: “It’s looking like you will need to have surgery”, which is what I was told at the age of thirteen, causing foreseen conflict in my dance training.

Exploring dance as a career is a challenging, but rewarding career in the long run. It takes years of dedication, and countless hours of training to perfect technique, and gain the needed endurance, strength, and agility, but it is a passion that brings joy to the multitude. Throughout the short lived career of a dancer, they will endure many auditions, rehearsals, and performances, if the dancer can make it through an audition and gain a role. Even though the wages may not be the best, and the hours are long, a true dancer will be able to overlook this all in pursuit of their passion. Where did the career, of being a professional dancer come from? What does this career look like? Is there necessary education

Are you looking to try a new hobby? How about trying dance? Dance has many benefits such as being a good form of exercise, and being good for the mind. If you are a picky person then dance is perfect for you , as there are many types of dance. If you want a dance class which is more chill and doesn’t require perfection you should try out hip hop. Hip Hop also known as street dance , is a type of dance that is done to rapping songs. Hip Hop is a fast paced dance that requires being able to move the hips and ribcage. Some songs that would be recommended to dance to hip hop would be “Cheerleader,” “Where are you now,” “Whip/Nae Nae.” The clothes for hip hop would usually be loose clothing and wearing Converse or Vans. The next type of

Another example of a cultures belief in ghosts is Ireland’s and Scotland’s (also known as the Celt’s) belief in Samhain or All Hallow’s Eve. Samhain is a festival that is celebrated from October 31st to November 2nd. Samhain is a time of the year that celebrates the last harvest before the winter comes, and is dedicated to the “Lord of the Dead” (Guiley 19). The Celt’s believe that the dead will come out of their final resting place and mess with the crops. Also, it is believed that communication with the dead is easier during Samhain. It is said that the veil that separates the living from the dead is at its thinnest during this time. The Lord of the Dead holds a sentencing of spirits, where if they were good they can exist in the form of a human, and if they were bad, the form of an animal. Offerings of food and drink are made to the Lord of the Dead so he would not be so severe in his sentencing. Many Celt’s would dress up on Samhain to confuse the spirits that were roaming around so they wouldn’t stop, but continue to pass them by (Guiley 19). This festival is still celebrated today as Halloween. Currently, Americans hold by some of the old traditions by dressing up and making offerings by handing out candy. Many Celt’s still hold beliefs in the old ways. Celt’s also believe in what is