Uncovering Nevada's Past: A Primary Source History of the Silver State

5: Nineteenth-Century Social History

Letters to Wovoka Wovoka, also known as Jack Wilson, was born about 1856 in the Mason Valley near modern-day Yerington in northern Nevada. He was the son of a Northern Paiute shaman . In 1889 Wovoka experienced a series of visions that instructed him to revive the Ghost Dance religion of the 1870s. He preached living in peace with whites, loving one another, and dancing the Ghost Dance, so that all who practiced the faith would be reunited with their loved ones in the “afterlife,” and there would be no more illnesses . Almost immediately, Wovoka’s vision spread to tribes on the plains, including the Arapahos, Cheyennes, Kiowas, Assiniboines, and Sioux, and to the Shoshones and Bannocks in Idaho. Wovoka even traveled to Oklahoma twice to visit devotees of the Ghost Dance. One reason the news spread so quickly was that the railroad had arrived in the American West. Railroad companies let Native Americans ride free of charge, giving them a far-reaching, modern mode of transportation that enabled them to travel to Nevada to meet the “Prophet” Wovoka, and learn the Ghost Dance from him directly. Also, Plains tribes were spiritually devastated by the Indian Wars that culminated at Wounded Knee in South Dakota in 1890 and needed the spiritual rejuvenation that they found in the Ghost Dance. Certain devotees from the plains wrote letters to Wovoka, requesting that he send “medicine” to them, such as red ochre paint and eagle feathers blessed by him. Often, they would send money or gifts such as beaded moccasins or belts. The letters to Jack Wilson (Wovoka) that follow were part of a group of letters to him found in an earthen structure after his death. The Northern Paiutes practiced the Ghost Dance for a short time only, but distant tribes followed the movement and sought Wovoka’s counsel until his death in 1932. A modified version of the Ghost Dance is practiced today by Utes, Eastern and Northern Shoshones, and some Southern Paiute groups in Utah. —Terri McBride Nineteenth-Century Social History 5 69 7 0 | u n c o v e r i n g n e v a d a ’ s p a s t Allen, South Dakota April 27th 1911 Mr. Jack Wilson. Nordyke, Nevada Dear father I send you five dollars from Allen P .O. for P .O. money order that time I think you were at Colorado state but the money order return to me at Allen S. Dak. and I sent you another five dollars cash and I never heard from you. If you receive the five dollars or not so I want to know all about it. And tell me all about it the news is that we are people all sick, sick all time the little folks but now it all over by this spring and do you know what kind medicine best? These sickness cough, and lungs sick and measles and how we pray it, our god may mistake and tell me all about it these things. Yours, poor son John. Short Bull Answer soon as possible. Porcupine Tail Creek August 10 1908 Dear Father Jack Wilson Today I was doing and was very sorry and I was going to send you $6. I want to know that some medicine good for your peoples—I like to see those medicine soon as you could and I want you to send those. I send 4 bead belts working. I like you to send me those medicine for myself. How much it cost? Those medicine makes those pills them it and send it to me. When I was there and you give me some medicine give me some of those for the belt. That is all want to say for you. I am glad to shake hand with you that is me your son Bear Comes Out. Arapahoe Wyoming Fremont co. April 30–11 Dear Father in christ. Jack Wilson, Today I am thinking of you and I would like to write you a few lines to you this morning and to let you know that I am well with my folks and also my wife was very sickness for along time. But she go round now days and she go down River to take a cold bath in water and she said she feels much better after she n i n e t e e n t h - c e...