What was the Ghost Dance Movement?

The Ghost Dance Movement was primarily a religious movement that emerged among Native American tribes in the late 19th century as a response to the suppression and devastation caused by U.S. domination and expansion. The movement was founded by a Paiute prophet named Wovoka in the 1880s, promoting the belief that through the practice of the Ghost Dance, Native Americans could return to their traditional way of life, reunite with ancestors, and ultimately see the restoration of their lands and way of life that had been lost due to colonization.

While elements of cultural revival and resistance to land theft were indeed associated with the movement, its core focus was on a spiritual awakening and the hope for a better future through religious practices. This belief system provided many Native Americans with a sense of hope and purpose in an era of deep despair and dislocation. The movement gained attention and led to conflicts, most notably culminating in the tragic Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, which underscored the tensions between Indigenous peoples and the U.S. government.

The other options relate to aspects of Native American experiences but do not encapsulate the essence of the Ghost Dance as it was fundamentally a spiritual movement aimed at resisting U.S. domination through a religious framework.