Wovoka

Wovoka

Wovoka (c. 1856 - September 20, 1932), also known as Jack Wilson, was the Northern Paiute religious leader who founded the Ghost Dance movement. Wovoka means “wood cutter” in the Northern Paiute language.

Biography

Wovoka was born in Smith Valley area southeast of Carson City, Nevada, around the year 1856. Wovoka's father may have been the religious leader variously known as “Tavibo“ or “Numu-Taibo” whose teachings were similar to those of Wovoka. Regardless, Wovoka clearly had some training as a shaman. Wovoka’s father died around the year 1870, and he was taken in by David Wilson, who was a rancher in the Yerington, Nevada area. Wovoka worked on Wilson’s ranch and used the name Jack Wilson when dealing with whites. David Wilson was a devout Christian, and Wovoka learned Christian theology and Bible stories while living with him.

Wovoka gained a reputation as a powerful shaman early in adulthood as he was adept at magic tricks. One trick he often performed was being shot with a shotgun, which may have been similar to the bullet catch trick. Reports of this trick probably convinced the Lakota that their “ghost shirts” could stop bullets. Wovoka also performed a levitation trick.

Wovoka claimed to have had a prophetic vision during the solar eclipse on January 1, 1889. Wovoka's vision entailed the resurrection of the Paiute dead and the removal of whites and their works from North America. Wovoka taught that in order to bring this vision to pass the Native Americans must live righteously and perform a traditional round dance, known as the Ghost dance, in a series of five-day gatherings. Wovoka's teachings spread quickly among many Native American peoples, notably the Lakota. The Ghost Dance movement is best known for its role in the Wounded Knee Massacre, in which it caused Indian Agents, Soldiers, and other Federal officials a great deal of consternation and helped to predispose them towards a cautious, wary, and defensive posture when dealing with the Sioux. Important to note is that Wovoka’s preachings included messages of non-violence, but that two Miniconjou, Short Bull and Kicking Bear, instead emphasized the possible elimination of Whites which contributed to the already defensive attitude of the federal officials who were already reacting with fear of the unknown to the Ghost Dance movement.

Wovoka died in Yerington on September 20, 1932 and is interred in the Paiute Cemetery in the town of Schurz, Nevada.

Further reading

*Michael Hittman, "Wovoka and the Ghost Dance", Bison Books 1998, ISBN 0803273088

*John Norman, "Ghost Dance", Daw Books 1970, (a fictional account) ISBN 0879975016

ee also

*Smohalla
*John Slocum

External links

* [http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/eight/gdmessg.htm "The Messiah Letter" by Wovoka, translated by James Mooney]

*YouTube|cI0Jfdkq4z8|Paiute Native American shaman Wovoka and the Ghost Dance


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  • Wovoka — (vermutlich der schneidet, auch Wevokar, Cowejo, Wopokahte, Kwohitsauq, Quoitze, Jackson Wilson, John Johnson oder Jack Wilson genannt; * um 1856; † 20. September 1932 im Walker Valley, Nevada, USA) war ein einflussreicher Prophet… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Wovoka — Wovoka, también conocido como Jack Wilson (Smith Valley, cerca de Carson City, Nevada, 1858 Reserva Walker River, 1932) fue un chamán y líder religioso paiute, hijo de Tävibo. Influido por mormones y cuáqueros, en 1880 tuvo visiones después de un …   Wikipedia Español

  • Wovoka — /weuh voh keuh/, n. c1856 1932, Paiute religious leader: originator of the ghost dance religion. * * * born 1858?, Utah Territory, U.S. died October 1932, Walker River Indian Reservation, Nev. Paiute religious leader. In 1889 Wovoka announced… …   Universalium

  • Wovoka — (¿1858?, territorio de Utah, EE.UU.–oct. 1932, reserva indígena del río Walker, Nev.). Líder religioso paiute. En 1889 anunció que, estando en trance, Dios le había comunicado que si la gente realizaba una danza ritual, los ancestros de su pueblo …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Wovoka (album) — Infobox Album Name = Wovoka Type = studio Artist = Redbone Released = 1973 Length = 29:46 Label = Epic Producer = Pat Vegas, Lolly Vegas and Alex Kazanegras Reviews = *Allmusic rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg… …   Wikipedia

  • Wovoka — n. (c.1858 1932) Paiute medicine man who claimed to have received a divine message that one day all white people would vanish and all living and deceased Indian people would rise up and live together …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Wovoka — Wo•vo•ka [[t]wəˈvoʊ kə[/t]] n. big c1856–1932, Northern Paiute religious leader: revived the ghost dance religion 1889 …   From formal English to slang

  • Wovoka — /weuh voh keuh/, n. c1856 1932, Paiute religious leader: originator of the ghost dance religion …   Useful english dictionary

  • Wowoka — Wovoka Wovoka (vermutlich der schneidet, auch Wevokar, Cowejo, Wopokahte, Kwohitsauq, Quoitze, Jackson Wilson, John Johnson oder Jack Wilson genannt; * um 1856; † 20. September 1932 im Walker Valley, Nevada, USA) war ein einflussreicher Prophet… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ghost dance — a ritual dance intended to establish communion with the dead, esp. such a dance as performed by various messianic western American Indian cults in the late 19th century. [1885 90, Amer.] * * * Nineteenth century Native American cult. It… …   Universalium

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