Born southwest of what is now Carson City, Nevada about 1856, his father, Tavibo, was also a medicine man. After his father's death the boy was taken into a white rancher's from where he received the name of Jack Wilson, by which he was commonly known among the whites. However, when he grew up Paiute, where he became a powerful shaman. On January 1, 1889, he claimed to have had a prophetic vision during the solar eclipse which entailed the resurrection of the Paiute dead and the removal of white settlers from their lands. In order to make the vision come true, he taught his people that they must live righteously and perform a circular dance which was called the Ghost Dance. At this time, conditions were bad on the Indian reservations and Native Americans across the west needed something to give them hope. In a series of five-day gatherings, Wovoka's teachings spread quickly among many Native American peoples, especially the Lakota Sioux.