P
Lower Brulé. The law also opens nine million acres
of former reservation land to settlement by whites
and allows for remaining Sioux lands to be divided
into 320-acre allotments to be owned by individual
Indians.
January 1
Northern Paiute (Numu) prophet Wovoka
founds a new Indian religion.
While cutting wood in tribal lands in western Ne-
vada, a Northern Paiute (Numu) named Wovoka
has a fever-induced vision. By his account, he dies
and goes to heaven, where he encounters his dead
ancestors. While in heaven, he is also given in-
struction from God on how Indians should live.
They should avoid fighting, live in peace with
whites, and perform the traditional Paiute Round
Dance. Wovoka himself is given by God the power
to control natural elements as well as the position
of co-vice president of the United States. Wovoka’s
revelation will lead him to found the Ghost Dance
movement, which will soon be embraced by the
Indians throughout the Great Plains (see entry for
SUMMER 1890).
“When the sun died, I went up
to heaven and saw God and
all the people who had died a
long time ago. God told me to
come back and tell my people
they must be good and love
one another, and not fight, or
steal, or lie. He gave me this
dance to give to my people.”
—Northern Paiute
(Numu) prophet Wovoka,
on his religious revelationApril 22The Unassigned Lands in Indian Territory
are opened to non-Indians.
A 2-million-acre region in the center of Indian Ter-
ritory that has not been assigned to an Indian group
is opened to settlement by non-Indians. In the first
of a series of rushes on former Indian Territory land,
more than 50,000 non-Indians claim plots of land
on this single day.1890February 8Indian schools celebrate Indian
Citizenship Day.
To commemorate the anniversary of the General
Allotment Act (see entry for FEBRUARY 8, 1887),
the commissioner of Indian affairs directs Indian
schools to observe “Indian Citizenship Day.” The
celebration is intended to stir patriotism in Indian
students by extolling the virtues of U.S. citizen-
ship and private property, which will be granted to
the residents of selected reservations through the
Allotment act.
Indian Citizenship Day will become an annual
school holiday, with speeches, pageants, and dramas
featuring student performers. For example, in 1892,
“Columbia’s Roll Call,” an extravaganza performed
at Virginia’s Hampton Institute (see entry for APRIL
1878), follows a mythic goddess “Columbia” as she
meets Christopher Columbus, George Washington,
and other legendary figures in American history. At
the end of the parade of characters is a group of as-
similated Indian tradesmen and farmers, on whom
Columbia bestows the honor of citizenship.MayWestern Indian Territory becomes
Oklahoma Territory.
The United States reorganizes the western por-
tion of Indian Territory as the new territory of