American History Hit What Was The Ghost Dance?
Dec 11, 2025
Professor Gregory Smoak, a history expert on Native American religion, dives into the captivating world of the Ghost Dance. He outlines its origins and Wovoka's vision of peace and renewal amidst 19th-century assimilation policies. Smoak sheds light on the misunderstood symbolism of ghost shirts and public misconceptions, as well as the explosive military response that culminated in the Wounded Knee massacre. He emphasizes the enduring legacy of the Ghost Dance, showing how its influence resonates in contemporary Native traditions.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Wovoka's Vision Sparked Revival
- Wovoka's 1889 vision during a solar eclipse sparked a movement promising a renewed world where ancestors return and buffalo roam free.
- The vision became revelation and quickly spread as the Ghost Dance movement across the West.
Reservations Replaced Removal
- Federal Indian policy shifted from removal to concentrating Native peoples on reservations after the 1850s and intensified post-Civil War.
- This confinement and cultural transformation effort culminated with the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 ending large-scale armed resistance.
Assimilation Was Structural Erasure
- Assimilation policies like the Dawes Act (1887) and boarding schools aimed to dissolve tribes by enforcing private landholding and cultural erasure.
- These measures functioned to make Native peoples disappear as distinct groups within American society.
