Don Wildman

You know, Christ has come, they hear, they're collapsing, they're weeping.

There are...

Elements of Pentecostal, you know, behavior in this.

Not intentionally, but I'm saying you could sort of reference that.

By fall of 1890, I have down that at least 30 nations had adopted some version of this particular ghost dance.

It's nationwide, I guess is the word to say.

The Lakota were particularly enthusiastic.

Their leader, Sitting Bull, they graphed some symbols of their primary religion onto this stance.

I mean, it's a very plastic thing, isn't it?

It can be flexible.

So, so much of this is a matter of perspective in those days and even now.

What was the response in the country to the word that this was happening?

Did it receive wide publicity?

because they had experienced this as a briar?

I mean, were these sort of previews of militant action or what?

I just am curious, why was it so inflammatory when it seemed so clear that it was about a pacifism and a reach back as religiously oriented?

How would it have been such a trigger for American troops?

You know, so much of the West at that time was energized by the Mormon movement too.

I mean,

That entire Messiah craze of the Mormons out there in the West, it was a hotbed of lots going on.