Sioux ghost dance | 1894 | Documentary, Short

Title: Sioux ghost dance | 1894 | Documentary, Short Studio: Edison Manufacturing Co. Starring: Johnny Burke No Neck, Seven Up, Last Horse Release Date: 1894 Runtime: 1 Format: 35 mm; black-and-white; silent; approx. 24 seconds at 20 fps; filmed at the Black Maria studio, West Orange, New Jersey Country: United States Language: Silent Genres: Documentary, Nonfiction, Short --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Opening tableau 00:00:06 Drum cue and sway 00:00:12 Circle movement 00:00:18 Headdress whirl 00:00:22 Final pose --- Summary: A group of Lakota performers, including two boys, demonstrate a staged ceremonial dance before the stationary Edison camera. The action begins with a visible drum cue and progresses into a clockwise circle, highlighting regalia such as feathered headdresses and bone breastplates. Although historically labeled a “Ghost Dance,” the filmed performance corresponds more closely to a shortened Grass Dance adapted to the confined Black Maria studio space. --- Background: Filmed by the Edison company in West Orange, New Jersey, on September 24, 1894, this Kinetoscope-era actuality features members of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West troupe and is among the earliest motion pictures to depict Native American performers. Camera work is credited to William Heise, with W. K. L. Dickson overseeing production. The Library of Congress record notes a 35 mm, silent, black-and-white viewing print of roughly 39 feet, and identifies the piece as originally titled Sioux Ghost Dance despite depicting a Grass Dance. --- Trivia: The Library of Congress notes that Native American performers in this film represent the first appearance of American Indians before a motion picture camera. The dance was misidentified in early Edison materials; scholars and curators have concluded it is a Grass Dance rather than the Ghost Dance. Named participants include Johnny Burke No Neck, Seven Up, and Last Horse, with additional performers likely from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West troupe. Sioux Ghost Dance was shot the same day as the companion film Buffalo Dance in Edison’s Black Maria studio. Wikimedia Commons summarizes early documentation noting no copyright registration for this title. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: 1894 Original Studio / Distributor: Edison Manufacturing Co. Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: No --- Hashtags: SiouxGhostDance 1894 Edison BlackMaria SilentFilm Documentary PublicDomain LibraryOfCongress Lakota EarlyCinema Source page: https: //www.loc.gov/item/00694139/ Direct media URL: https: //tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/mbrs/ntscrm/00211296/00211296.mp4