" However that may be, it is an unquestionable
fact that the only religious leaders of any note who have
arisen among the native tribes since the advent of the white man,
the "Shawnee Prophet" in 1762, and the half-breed prophet of the
"Ghost Dance" in 1890, both founded their claims or prophecies
upon the Gospel story. Thus in each case an Indian religious
revival or craze, though more or less threatening to the invader,
was of distinctively alien origin.
The Medicine Lodge originated among the Algonquin tribe, and
extended gradually throughout its branches, finally affecting the
Sioux of the Mississippi Valley, and forming a strong
bulwark against the work of the pioneer missionaries, who secured,
indeed, scarcely any converts until after the outbreak of 1862,
when subjection, starvation, and imprisonment turned our
broken-hearted people to accept Christianity, which seemed to offer
them the only gleam of kindness or hope.
The order was a secret one, and in some respects not unlike
the Free Masons, being a union or affiliation of a number of
lodges, each with its distinctive songs and medicines. Leadership
was in order of seniority in degrees, which could only be obtained
by merit, and women were admitted to membership upon equal terms,
with the possibility of attaining to the highest honors.
No person might become a member unless his moral standing was
excellent, all candidates remained on probation for one or two
years, and murderers and adulterers were expelled.
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