History Of Leonard Crow Dog

Leonard Crow Dog had significant ties to the past Ghost Dance movements, and felt the need to uphold his ancestor’s actions and bring about his Native American religion to light through his own Ghost Dance in 1973, despite tensions going on at that time in reference to Native Americans and their culture and religion (Crow Dog, Erdoes, Heise). It was held in the same place, Wounded Knee, where his people before him surrendered to the White American people in the nineteenth century (Crowdog, Erdoes). He felt he had a vision from his great-grandfather to take this old tradition and to revive it to make his people whole again, and to dance for future Natives (Crowdog, Erdoes). This action that Leonard Crow Dog acted upon, to bring and protect

People are quick to turn their backs on one another and Leonard Crow Dog wanted to unite his people, as he was the spiritual leader of the American Indian Movement at that time. They all danced, and had visions from their spirits that all lifted them up and made them realize that being a Native American was amazing and they deserved to dance and practice the way they pleased (Crowdog, Erdoes). Leonard Crow Dog said, “This is a vision of four dimensions. Nobody can stop us” (Crowdog, Erdoes). He strongly believed that this dance was for each and every individual and they would gain spiritual knowledge and find themselves through this dance (Crowdog, Erdoes).. “I don’t have to instruct you,” Leonard Crow Dog said (Crowdog, Erdoes). “After you get into the circle the spirit will tell you, give you the power to speak” (Crowdog, Erdoes). They were not afraid to die (Crowdog, Erdoes).. They knew that they were doing the right thing and contributing something positive and wonderful to their Mother Earth. They were honoring the people before them that fought to keep their way of life happen. Leonard Crow Dog instructed that they should wear the old clothing that the people before them fashioned, but did not get angry if they did wear clothes that the white man produced (Crowdog, Erdoes). “I’ll wear a breechcloth, won’t wear white

They had the freedom to do as they pleased, and today, Natives have their own dances on their reservations and other locations, such as Pow Wows. They have the right to dance and worship however and in whatever way they choose and please to. After reading other pieces on Leonard Crow Dog, I was saddened to see that he was in trouble for putting on the dances that he did. But, through his efforts, it was shown to the whole United States and how Native Americans will fight and make sure that they will not give up their livelihood. They could practice the way that they pleased as they were not hurting anybody at all. Leonard Crow Dog’s efforts were beneficial in shaping the rest of the nation in regards to his people’s culture and religion. This is significant to the rest of the country because it shows the length of religion freedom, and that even though the United States government in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries forced Natives into boarding schools and other places they did not wish to go, now the Natives could do as they yearned to because of Leonard Crow Dog. He was brave and dedicated to upholding the traditions that his people followed before him, and he wanted to instill them into the current Native Americans in that time period when he conducted those dances. Others before him were scared, or maybe not even