Apocalyptic beliefs

Tenskwatawa, preaching the apocalypse, spoke of the Great Spirit sweeping across the land, resuming a lost battle after which the white man would disappear. Gathering thousands of followers, he led them into a losing battle in 1811, after which he lost his reputation.

Such frustration at losing one's way of life became a prevalent theme, harking back to the days before the arrival of white men. Thus, in 1869, this frustration gave birth to the Ghost Dance, when a Paiute named Wodziwob had a vision of a train overflowing with his dead tribe. He urged the people to revive an ancient dance, similar to the Sun Dance, in which practitioners danced in a circle to summon the spirits of these deceased tribesmen to destroy the white people. Wodziwob's son, Wovoka, popularized the Ghost Dance, composing songs and advocating nonviolence as a way to restore ancient traditions without allowing whites to prevail