Renewal Dance

Dance, Ceremony and Native civil liberties

Episode 5 of the Magic in the United States podcast, hosted by Magic in the United States, titled "Renewal Dance" was published on June 4, 2024 and runs 37 minutes.

June 4, 2024 ·37m · Magic in the United States

Summary

For the Paiute of the late 1800s, the “Ghost Dance" promised a new world where the beloved dead would return home and white settlers would disappear into  the earth. It was a dance of hope and rebalance in a world devastated by U.S. policies bent on the destruction of Native cultures and sovereignty. This new dance was – and still is – often referred to as a ‘religion’ by outsiders, even though the very words ‘religion’, ‘magic’, and ‘spirituality’ are external ideas historically imposed upon indigenous practices. This story of the Ghost Dance is a story of grief, renewal and political resistance. But the story of Native dances and Ceremonies – and efforts by the U.S. government over the decades to restrict them – is also the story of just how limited the word ‘religion’ really is. Featuring Jennifer Graber, Abel Gomez, Tria Blu Wakpa.

Episode Description