The Spirit Dance
The
Spirit Dance is a modern version of the old Ghost Dance of the late
1800’s with some changes in form, song, and prayers including
the name.
It would be impossible to make it like the old Ghost dance simply for
reasons of familiarity as we have accounts of it in books but no one
alive today really knows or have been there to give us directives on
the dance itself. The dance was snuffed out as quickly as it rose with
some unsavory elements that many Indians whose grand parents may have
been involved do not discuss much about the dance, (ex. Wounded Knee
Massacre).
Changes were needed the old Ghost Dance was tainted with a desperate
mood and a different set of circumstances unlike our times but no less
critical as will be explained further on.
The Ghost Dance has inspired many Native Americans, Wovoka, a Paiute
Medicine Man and his father were the ones to bring it more to the Native
American tribes during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s
as well.
It’s believed that doing this in the right way will bring about
powerful results like a new way of life or bring back the old ways again
like the buffalo returns and the free life of the land. Purportedly,
you can contact a deceased loved one or relative in the protective seal
of the ceremony or create a sort of medium where the those who have
passed over and the living can meet even crossing over to the other
side and back. The Ghost shirts used in the ceremony were reportedly
immune to the white mans bullets. During the time when many Native Americans
lost their love ones in war with the U. S. this made the Ghost Dance
most appealing and powerful ally but with a disastrous outcome.
The reasons for such a bad outcome among the plains Indians was the
misinformation of the shirts being impervious to bullets and the speculation
of the prayers recited in songs. One in general was the prayer of, “the
disappearance of the white man and his ways and bringing back the old
way of life”. To understand why this prayer was used is to know
the desperate times they were in, that the plains Indians had just come
off of war with the U.S. lost many relatives and loved ones, put on
reservations, not to mention losing their way of life.
Hopefully we have learned not to pray in such a manner for it is our
understanding that such things are not in our power to do or pray for
and left for a greater scheme beyond our comprehension to unfold.
This brings us to the present day in which all people not just the Native
Americans whose existence and life is in jeopardy realize the need to
come together make change and create a new way of life by praying and
dancing it into existence is at our disposal provided we do it with
true intentions. We are in critical times now with war looming over
us, the threat of terrorism at our doorstep, natural disasters from
hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Even global warming adds to
this while disease like the flu will hold our interest not to mention
a threat from the sky in the form of a meteor is likely to hit the earth
with reverberating force.
We need to look at what is going on here and are we up to the challenge
or have we just become to apathetic to care?
The Ghost Dance vision has been brought into play again through the
Spirit Dance for the time is now for all peoples to begin to dance,
pray, and heal their hearts. Look through the eyes of a child for they
are the meek. Time to recognize we are all children on this Great Grand
Mother we call earth and understand our connection and relation to all
things on her. It is believed and as crazy as it may sound to do this
as some of the old ones (the ones that did the old Ghost Dance) believed
could alter if not bring about a change. Perhaps not in the same dramatic
fashion that the old ones believed it could but nothing comes that easy
either another lesson still learning.
We invite you to share with us your thoughts and prayers in ceremony.
We welcome all no matter what faith you are or race this is not a religion
just a way.
After we have done ceremony everyone goes back to being who they are
it is their right whether they are Catholic, Buddhist, or Christian
we respect all paths and hope for forgiveness and the letting go of
all wrongs and be with your brother and sister in a great ceremony for
the future of our kind.
Our time is short here let us all come together in one big ceremony
for life.
Kam
Night Chase