A group of Sioux Indians from Buffalo Bill's Wild West exhibition demonstrates a dance called a "ghost dance".A group of Sioux Indians from Buffalo Bill's Wild West exhibition demonstrates a dance called a "ghost dance".A group of Sioux Indians from Buffalo Bill's Wild West exhibition demonstrates a dance called a "ghost dance".
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- ConnectionsFeatured in Edison: The Invention of the Movies (2005)
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Native Americans Caught on Film
It was on September 24, 1894 when the performers of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show met at Edison's famous Black Maria studio, to be shot in a series of films promoting the show prior to the time they were to travel to Europe. Performers filmed include cowboy Lee Martin, showman and hunter William F. Cody (or "Buffalo Bill"), the infamous sharpshooter Annie Oakley, and Native American warriors Hair Coat, Parts His Hair and Last Horse. Among the various shorts shot on this date was also this 15-second, poorly-lit clip of genuine Sioux Indians performing their ghost dance for the Kinetograph. From the looks of it, there appear to be at least fifteen or twenty Indians present, consisting of children age seven to adults aged thirty and including the chief complete with the trademark headdress.
Unfortunately, from the dark print existing today, few details remain to be known about "Sioux Ghost Dance", such as the identified performers and the various garments they seem to be wearing. Being a Native American dance, there's no way to actually evaluate or judge the skill of the performing looking at it today. (After all, to the Indians doing this was probably more like a ritual than a dance, done to keep away evil spirits). Additionally, while the films shot Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show were mostly made to promote the show in Europe, this particular subject of Indians dancing was probably favored largely due to the amount of movement in frame. This would explain the sign in the bottom right-hand corner, which was no doubt put there for advertising purposes.
Reportedly, "Sioux Ghost Dance" is also the world's first filming of Native Americans, according to a number of sources. (Its companion film, "Buffalo Dance", shot the same day would have been the second). I wouldn't argue with this logic since the career of the Edison company had just begun and few film pioneers had gotten as far as they. Still, it would have helped make the dance seem a little more natural for the performers had they gone on location, like an outside setting in a forest or a mountain area. That's probably too much to wish for, however, since the studio hadn't yet begun to shoot their subjects in location (which would actually begin by the year 1896).
Unfortunately, from the dark print existing today, few details remain to be known about "Sioux Ghost Dance", such as the identified performers and the various garments they seem to be wearing. Being a Native American dance, there's no way to actually evaluate or judge the skill of the performing looking at it today. (After all, to the Indians doing this was probably more like a ritual than a dance, done to keep away evil spirits). Additionally, while the films shot Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show were mostly made to promote the show in Europe, this particular subject of Indians dancing was probably favored largely due to the amount of movement in frame. This would explain the sign in the bottom right-hand corner, which was no doubt put there for advertising purposes.
Reportedly, "Sioux Ghost Dance" is also the world's first filming of Native Americans, according to a number of sources. (Its companion film, "Buffalo Dance", shot the same day would have been the second). I wouldn't argue with this logic since the career of the Edison company had just begun and few film pioneers had gotten as far as they. Still, it would have helped make the dance seem a little more natural for the performers had they gone on location, like an outside setting in a forest or a mountain area. That's probably too much to wish for, however, since the studio hadn't yet begun to shoot their subjects in location (which would actually begin by the year 1896).
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- Tornado_Sam
- Dec 21, 2017
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