"Wovoka (1858-1932), a native American of the Paiute tribe, prophet of a messianic religion sometimes called the Ghost Dance religion. Also known as Jack Wilson, he claimed, influenced by his father (a mystic) and the revivalistic Shaker religion popular at the time, that during an eclipse of the sun (Jan. 1, 1889) he had had a vision, in which God had given him a message - the time was coming when the earth would die and come alive again; all whites would disappear from the earth's surface, and all native people, living and dead, would be reunited to live a life free from death, disease, and misery. In order to bring this about, however, the Native Americans would have to follow Wovoka's doctrine of pacifism and practice the sacred dance he taught them. The great popularity of Wovoka's ghost dance waned, however, as his prophecy failed to materialize and as his converts were forced onto reservations."