Black Coyote Revisited

Section 5 Dance For A New Millenium Chapter 1

Choir practice has been interrupted unexpectedly. Old Charlie has run to choir practice so far and so fast that at first, he is unable to deliver his message. He huffs and puffs, unable to catch his breath. Old Charlie’s face is beet red. His pants and boots are splattered with mud from running the reservation dirt road on a rainy day. Old Charlie has run so fast and so far, that he has sobered up. Old Charlie walks up to Black Coyote and whispers something in his ear

“What?” Black Coyote asks.

Old Charlie repeats himself but is still panting for breath. Black Coyote instructs the choir to start another song and takes the breathless messenger outside the tent. While the choir rehearses, Black Coyote and Old Charlie hold a private conversation. Black Coyote walks back inside the tent, looking shaken. Old Charlie has left the scene. Black Coyote interrupts choir practice with bad news. He halts the choir in the middle of a song, stopping their beautiful words before they can reach all the way to heaven. The singers are shocked by Black Coyote’s words.

Wovoka has become a reluctant prophet. He is turning away visitors and sending them home, claiming that the dance of peace has been corrupted by the Ghost Dance shirt, an artifact of war. Wovoka has gone into hiding and the United States government has outlawed the Ghost Dance.