January 1st, 1889
January 1st, 1889 Northern Paiute Medicine Man Wovoka (aka: Jack Wilson) had a prophetic vision during an eclipse of the sun. He combined principles of both Christianity and Shamanism into the concept of the Ghost Dance (new and revised). When the people performed the dance, life as before the white man would be restored, complete with the return of their ancestors and the buffalo. Then, peace would come with the whites. As the Ghost Dance spread to numerous other Native American Tribes, it caused great fear and consternation among the army and government authorities. Variations began to appear, perhaps to include local issues and beliefs. Lakota shamans added “bulletproof” Ghost Dance shirts, made of deerskin or ordinary cloth. Warriors at the Wounded Knee Massacre 1890 soon discovered they were not quite as billed.