14 seconds, b&w, silent.
Production : Edison Manufacturing Co.
Source : Viewable on the Library of Congress website here
Along with Ghost Dance, this is one of two films of Sioux performers that were shot in the Edison ‘Black Maria’ studio in East Orange, New Jersey on 24 September 1894. These two films are generally considered to constitute the very first moving images of North American First Nations people.
The producer-director was W. K-L. Dickson while the cameraman was William Heise. In some sources, this film is erroneously referred to as Indian War Council.
The names of the dancers were Last Horse, Parts-His-Hair and Hair-Coat : the name of the musician accompanying them is unknown. All of them were members of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show and they seem to be quite accustomed to performing for a public since one of them very pointedly looks at the camera.
The show was about to depart on a European tour, so it has been suggested that these films might therefore have been made for promotional purposes.
Text : Jordan 1992, pp. 25-28, 80-81.