WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 211

tune previously described. To the Bella Coola philosopher,
apparently no explanation is needed of the manner in which
Saiks was allowed to use his experience as the basis of a kusiut
dance. The assumption is that he was a kusiut at the time of
his experience, although this is not clearly stated. The last to
use the name died about 1910, each Saiks having had the
prerogative of giving the Thunder dance.

THE GHOST DANCE”

Among the numerous patrons of kusiut dancers are Ghosts.
The term, dskankois, applied to a shaman whose power is de-
rived from a ghost, is also applied to kusiut with one as patron,
but the two functionaries must not be confused. It is a fairly
common prerogative and there are Ghost dancers in every
village, their right depending in every case on some experience
of an ancestor with a ghost. The following is an account of
the manner in which Soptos of Tcwnot? performed his ritual;
it may be regarded as typical of all, and the dancer can be
referred to as X.

At any time during the ceremonial season X consults with
the marshals to decide upon a suitable time for his perform-
ance. On the evening preceding, normally the gotfm of some
other kusiut, the marshals state that his call is imminent; X
makes his final arrangements and asks the assistance of a
number of his fellows.

When the zebusam rites of the following evening have been
completed and the uninitiated have returned to their own
houses, they are startled to hear whistling from the forest near
at hand. It is not the instrumentally produced sound that
accompanies the coming of a call, but tuneless whistling with
the mouth; everyone knows that this is the language of ghosts.
A visitation from them is by no means unknown, and always
dreaded, so at once there is excitement and everyone cowers
in the bedrooms. Presently heralds go through the village

“No relationship is implied with the dance of the same name among Indians of
other culture areas.