WOVOKA - GHOST DANCE MYSTIC. Artist: John Balloue, Cherokee. Framed 42" x 74". Purchased from Artist at Santa Fe Indian Market. This painting was inspired from a historical photograph of the Arapaho Nation visiting Wovoka at his home in NV 1890. The Native American Ghost Dance began with a vision and prophecy by a man named Jack Wilson or better known as “Wovoka.” Based on a vision, Wovoka revealed that he died and went to heaven. God gave him a special dance and message of peace to share with the Paiute people. The dance stressed unification of the Native American people and peace throughout the tribes. One of the primary themes was to become friendly with the white man and spread his message to all Indian people. He encouraged his people that they must not steal, lie, drink liquor or fight. Wovoka taught his people the Ghost Dance, a dance lasting five days where men and women alike shuffled sideways around a fire singing religious songs. The Native American people clung to the Ghost Dance as a last hope to revive the “old ways” during a time period in which the government demanded all tribal Native Americans move to reservations. The Ghost Dance combined the rituals, moral ideas, and religious beliefs into one ceremony. Ghost Dance followers believed in resurrection and a reunion with family members who had died. Wovoka preached that the dance would bring about a resurrection of peace, love, and everlasting life to the Earth. Wovoka taught that this could only be done if Indians gave up all forms of violence and warfare. Special Ghost Dance clothing was created to protect the Indians from the white man’s bullets. The images in the sky of this painting are designs that the Arapaho, Sioux, Pawnee and Kiowa nations used on their ghost dance shirts.
