A Paiute Sequence
INCANTATION TO NATURE TO REJOIN MAN
Fog ! Fog !
Lightningl Lightningl
Whirlwind! Whirlwind!
WIND RISES FIRST IN THE HIGH PLACES
There is dust from the whirlwind,
There is dust from the whirlwind,
There is dust from the whirlwind,
The whirlwind on the mountain,
The whirlwind on the mountain,
The whirlwind on the mountain.
THEN IT VIBRATES IN ROCKS
The rocks are ringing,
The rocks are ringing,
The rocks are ringing,
They are ringing in the mountains,
They are ringing in the mountains,
They are ringing in the mountains.
AND IT BREAKS THEIR RESISTANCE
The black rock, the black rock,
The black rock, the black rock.
The rock is broken, the rock is broken,
The rock is broken, the rock is broken.
WITH THE SPEED OF WIND, AS CONCEALING AS SNOW, NEW EARTH COVERS THE OLD
The whirlwind! The whirlwind!
The whirlwind! The whirlwind!
The snowy earth comes gliding, the snowy earth
comes gliding;
The snowy earth comes gliding, the snowy earth
comes gliding.
NEW GROWTH COVERS NEW EARTH
The cottonwoods are growing tall,
The cottonwoods are growing tall,
The cottonwoods are growing tall.
They are growing call and verdant,
They are growing tall and verdant,
They are growing tall and verdant.
ALL CREATURES AGAIN SHARE THE EARTH IN THEIR JOY
A slender antelope, a slender antelope,
A slender antelope, a slender antelope,
He is wallowing he upon the ground,
He is wallowing upon the ground,
He to Wallowing upon the ground,
He is wallowing upon the ground.
Excerpts of Ghost Dance Songs from “Native American Religions,” Literature of the American Indian.
Back to ‘Ghost Dance’
