The 1870 Ghost Dance

Part Three: North-Central California

89 Parts 1 and 2 dealt with the introduction of the Ghost Dance and Earth Lodge cult into northernmost California and western Oregon. The diffusion along the Klamath drainage and including Siletz and Grand Ronde reservations formed a close circle, the two ends of which met in northern Yurok territory. There has been, so far, no discussion of the manner in which the Ghost Dance reached north-central California, or of the way in which the Earth Lodge cult developed from Ghost Dance stimuli. Part 3 will deal with (1) fragmentary and abortive manifestations of the Ghost Dance among the Hill and Mountain Maidu; (2) the introduction of the Ghost Dance from the east along the Pit River drainage in Achomawi territory ; (3) the transformation of the Ghost Dance into the Earth Lodge cult by Norelputus; (4) the diffusion of the Earth Lodge cult to the north, south, and west across the Coast Range; (5) the development of the BoleMaru from the Earth Lodge cult by Lame Bill and Homaldo; and (6) the subsequent growth of these cults in each area. These developments occurred simultaneously with the movements described in preceding sections . The Ghost Dance entered the Pit River area in 1871. The Earth Lodge cult reached its climax among the Pomo in 1872, and within a year the Bole-Maru was already taking shape. These cults are not traced as separate movements, but instead they are described chronologically within the various tribal groups. The necessity for such treatment will be apparent in the complex and closely interrelated nature of the material. Mountain and Hill Maidu There are certain hints of abortive Ghost Dance introductions into the Mountain Maidu group in the vicinity of Susanville and into the Hill Maidu group in the vicinity of Mooretown. At Susanville, a Mountain Maidu gave the following account of a Paviotso attempt to convert her people to the Ghost Dance doctrine. No other informant could be found who was able to amplify this statement. part three ° North-Central California part three 90 [roxy picano] “When I was about thirteen years old [ca. 1870–1871], we were all camped at Willard’s place, southwest of Susanville, to gather roots. Some Paiutes came to our village near Janesville. Everybody was away gathering roots, so Lamb Samson and Jim Holsom brought the Paiutes to Willard’s place where we were camping. The Paiutes sang and danced all night around a fire. They said the dead were coming back and an Indian doctor had told them to do this. After that the Paiutes turned around and went back to their own country. Our people never believed in this. They said no one could bring the dead back.Afterwards we heard that a lot of that sort of thing was going on at Dixie Valley [Achomawi], but we never paid any attention to it.” The place from which the Paviotso proselytizers came was not specifically determined. The most immediate vicinity was probably Honey Lake, where Washo, Paviotso, and Maidu groups were in touch with each other. Although Frank Spencer was well known in Susanville, where one of his Achomawi wives is still living, no one was acquainted with his early proselytizing efforts in connection with the Ghost Dance. Biritcid and Utcolodi, who converted the eastern Achomawi, were also known as personalities but not as missionary-messengers. The statements of the one informant and the absence of confirmatory data from others concerning the Ghost Dance indicate that the movement was probably of little consequence among the Mountain Maidu. Further confirmation of its insignificance is implied in the absence of subsequent dreamers. The Achomawi, Mike Harm, who gave séances near Susanville in approximately 1890, was considered a foolish impostor by most of the local Maidu. Among the Hill Maidu no traces of any modern cult movement were found until the group at Mooretown was visited. Mooretown lies south and east of Chico on a ridge above the Feather River. Here only one informant was able to furnish any pertinent material. [george martin] “About sixty-three years ago [ca. 1871] Widunduni gathered all the people together to meet their dead who had died a long time ago. They met at Kushte, about five miles east of Mooretown and two miles southeast of Feather Falls. He wanted them to bring what they could to give their dead people. Everyone gathered for fifty miles 91 north...