Creator: Jennifer Graber and Bindi Kaplan
Link: https://ghostdancematerials.utcreates.org/
This project serves as a visual and auditory introduction to the Ghost Dance Movement. The Ghost Dance started in 1889 and was a pan-Indian movement to renew order to the land. Indigenous people danced to renew the world, but also to fight for agency and a future. Many had dreams which inspired Ghost Dance shirts and dresses and games that were played alongside dancing. The United States Federal Government oppressed the Ghost Dance, banning all dancing and other religious and cultural practices on reservations. The first section of this digital archive will focus on clothing, artwork, tools, and objects produced for and about the Ghost Dance. These are generally from the late 19th century. The second section of this digital archive will focus on how the Ghost Dance continued to inspire and lead Indigenous activists, artists, and writers in the 20th century. This section demonstrates that the Ghost Dance does not live in the past, but exists in the present as well. This digital archive will emphasize the importance of a multimedia understanding of history and how history does not just exist in the past, but continues to impact the present and future.
