[1] Mooney, _The Ghost Dance_, 903-905.
[2] Capt. Hugh L. Scott, in Mooney, _The Ghost Dance_, 904.
[3] We have elsewhere expressed the opinion that the Caddo had an
historical significance in the spread of peyotism second only to that of
the Kiowa-Comanche, and that Wilson represents this Caddoan influence
predominantly. Though he had Delaware blood, this numerically small group
could scarcely have wielded the influence or exercised the prestige
necessary to account for the spread of his “moon;” the Caddo, on the
other hand, who early had peyote, did have this prestige. We therefore
believe Petrullo in error in claiming Wilson as a Delaware. Speck (_Notes
on the Life_, 540) writes that “His associations with the Comanche and
Caddo, to whom he was related by blood, were close.” Petrullo himself,
indeed (_The Diabolic Root_, 44) indicates Caddoan influences on Wilson:
“John Wilson, the originator of the Big Moon, was living among the Caddo.
He was one of the first Delaware to eat peyote. He belonged to the
Black Beaver band ... held by the Government at the Wichita and Caddo
reservations. It was there that Wilson was born and raised.” Petrullo
also says Wilson made visits to Arizona and New Mexico before returning
to make his moon on the Caddo reservation.
[4] Note the prominence of hearts in the altar elaborated by Wilson.
According to Petrullo (_The Diabolic Root_, 45) “John Wilson ... had
received some Catholic instruction.” These probably derive, therefore,
from the Catholic “Sacred Heart.” (The heart is present in Huichol
religion, but even if not wholly aboriginal [Aztecan influence?] and
Catholic-influenced there too, it is quite independent of the Wilson
heart motifs.)
[5] Cf. the prominence in Wilson’s moon of brushing each person entering
with feathers.
[6] Cf. the Winnebago leader’s similar praying with confessants in peyote
meetings.
[7] Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 540-42; cf. also Petrullo, _The Diabolic
Root_, 80.
[8] “In response to the question as to whether Wilson ever spoke of the
Peyote songs as symbolizing the singing of birds, Anderson asserted that
he had heard of this among other Peyote sects but had never heard Wilson
express it.” (Speck, _op. cit._, 542 note.)
[9] Some of Wilson’s Caddoan teachings were sufficiently unlike those of
the Delaware to antagonize them. A Delaware informant of Petrullo (_The
Diabolic Root_, 66) said, “It [peyote] should be eaten in order to get
well, not to have visions.” (Benedict’s study indicated, one recalls,
that in the Woodlands only puberty-visions occurred, while in the Plains
adults too may obtain them.) Again (p. 68) “Wilson was wrong. Peyote is
good, but it is good and powerful medicine, not a religion like the Big
House. [For instance] four boiled Peyote placed on top of the head will
help in cases of insanity.”
[10] Cf. the Pawnee (Murie, _Pawnee Indian Societies_, 642).
[11] Petrullo, _The Diabolic Root_, 172.
[12] Petrullo, _op. cit._, 56-59, 67, 96, note 29.
[13] Petrullo (_The Diabolic Root_, 103). He claims to be Wilson’s
authorized successor and has revised his moon. Petrullo (_op. cit._, 4)
says John Quapaw is Wilson’s real successor.
[14] Harrington (_Religion and Ceremonies_, 156) says Wilson brought the
Lenape peyote from the Washita River Caddo as well as the Ghost Dance in
1890-92, which died out with him among the Delaware (_idem_, 190-91).
[15] Speck, _Notes on the Ethnology_, 171.
[16] On the mere score of Christian elements we do not agree, however,
that Wilson’s influence necessarily extended to the Wichita, Winnebago,
Kickapoo, and Omaha (Petrullo, _The Diabolic Root_, 79). See following
appendices.
[17] Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 554.
[18] _Idem_, 553.
[19] _Idem_, 544.
[20] _Idem_, 546.
[21] For this reason we doubt the soundness of Petrullo’s inference that
the Omaha, Winnebago, etc., were influenced by Wilson. These groups
actually used the Bible in meetings and read from it. This influence, we
believe, traces to another teacher, the Oto Jonathan Koshiway.
[22] Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 547.
[23] Speck, _Notes on the Ethnology_, 171.
[24] Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 549.
[25] Wilson taught that the number of peyote required to be eaten varies
according to the amount of impurity in the “heart” and stomach of the
individual, “which impurity resulting from sins committed he likened
to ‘dirt’” (Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 545). The more frequently the
communicant attended peyote meetings, the less dirt, obviously, there
could accumulate. The degree of nausea, Wilson taught, is the punishment
meted out for sin (cf. John Rave’s teaching).
[26] To be sure the pattern of gift-giving is deep-rooted in the Plains,
yet it is a curious coincidence at least that Wilson should have taken
peyote to the Quapaw, who own the largest lead and zinc mining fields in
the world, and the Osage, made notoriously wealthy through oil. Anderson
told Speck that the Osage had given Wilson $200 for building them a moon,
and Charles Tyner (Quapaw) told me that he and Victor Griffin (Quapaw)
had received $500 for an altar in one sum and some hundreds of dollars
in money gifts later. The Osage once gave Anderson $20 and his wife $10
because his uncle, John Wilson, had built their moon (Speck, _op. cit._,
551). Wilson even used to charge $1 per person for the sweatbaths he gave
before meetings.
[27] Petrullo, _The Diabolic Root_, 82; cf. 45, 95.
[28] Petrullo, _op. cit._, 45; cf. 104.
[29] His followers, in any case, betray their expectancy of financial
reward. It was remarked, for example, that the impecunious Seneca gave
Anderson only his trainfare when he brought peyote to them. Griffin, more
business-like, always arranges beforehand the amount of compensation he
is to receive.
[30] Cf. the case of the Caddo Alfred Taylor whom the Osage invited to
introduce the basic Caddo moon—even the Osage are turning from the Wilson
rite.
[31] Petrullo, _op. cit._, 43.
[32] _Idem_, 31-32.
[33] War Eagle, letter to Speck from Dewey, Oklahoma April 1, 1932.
We believe Petrullo, as shown by this letter, has over-emphasized the
decadence of the basic rite at Dewey. The Wilson-Elk Hair antagonism is
shown in even trivial ways. The latter use the feathers of swift-flying
birds to “hurry up” the medicine cure, the faster the singing of songs,
the quicker the cure. The Wilson cultists, who sing slowly, accuse the
little moon followers of “putting too much vigor and speed into their
healing and praying meetings as is typified by their inclination to
decorate their Peyote paraphernalia with Hummingbird feathers, symbolical
of the acme of speed.” (Speck, _Notes on the Life_, 551; thanks are due
to the University of Pennsylvania Committee of Faculty Research, for
Grant No. 93 on which his work was done.)