By the late 1800's, due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the Trail of Tears in 1838 and continued forced relocation and cultural genocide by the U.S Government, many Native American tribes east of the Mississippi had lost most of their musical traditions. The increasingly oppressive treatment by the government and declining quality of life led to a general loss of hope. The need for a catalyst that would present a rallying point for the different tribes became great. Jack Wilson (above), known as Wovoka to his Paiute tribe in northern Nevada, provided this catalyst with the Ghost Dance.
Jack Wilson (1856-1932), became a prophet of peace and tribal unity when he claimed to have been given a sacred dance by God during a vision he had on January 1st, 1889. According to Wilson himself, his vision concerned the resurrection of dead Native American warriors killed in the struggles against white settlers and a period of peace and pan-tribal unity in which the workings of the white man would be erased from the land. To bring this about, Wilson was given the Ghost Dance, and told to spread it to all tribes. Essentially, the Ghost Dance was to be performed pan-tribally for five consecutive days, afterward bringing about the prophecies given to Wilson.
The Ghost Dance movement quickly spread throughout the west. It became extremely popular among many tribes, the Sioux in particular. Below is a Sioux Ghost Dance, filmed in 1894:
The movement slowly died out after the battle at Wounded Knee, in which the Ghost Dance played a pivotal role. However, the pan-tribal ideals it represented continued, having been rooted in much older Native American traditions such as the Round Dance and Peyote Songs, which have recently been popularized by their use in the Native American Church.
In 1934, federal bans on Native American music and dance were lifted, clearing the way for the reemergence of Native musical traditions and the birth of the inter-tribal Powwow.
Powwows are large cultural gatherings centered around Native music, dance, food, and spirituality. The purpose of the gatherings was two-fold; On the one hand, it provided an environment that could foster and recreate forgotten musical traditions, while ensuring that the traditions would be passed on to younger generations. On the other hand, hosting the events attracted many tourists and could therefore bring money into the communities.
The Powwow tradition continues in full strength to this day, with large events being held nearly every weekend around the country.
