WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 195

on the floor with a stick and the women sing with him. Food
is then given to all and the people disperse.

It will be noted how greatly this dance differs from the
usual kusiut pattern, especially in the omission of a nebusam
when masks are used. Instead of the ritual Just described, X
has the option of using another, similar to the customary kusiut
type. The following ritual has not been carried out for many
years so it is probable that many details have been overlooked.
No information was obtainable about the motives governing
X’s choice of dance.

As in all kusiut dances, the first essential is to select a suit.
able time, a matter of arrangement with the marshals. The
night chosen for the coming of the call is often the nebusam of
some other kusiut, and the uninitiated are at once expelled.
The kukusiut gather in X’s house, where the singers beat out
the song composed for the occasion, describing Winwina and
his crew, especially the four Kamat#étk? who were not only too
lazy to capture any booty, but wanted to sleep all the time and
could be roused only by being drenched with cold water. The
audience listens attentively and then practises the song; X
often dances but it is not important since no uninitiated are
present. There are no unusual features in the ritual of this
night of ésuxtdémem.

The next day is zusiutélsap when the wood is brought in for
masks, the making of which is allotted in the evening. Five
only are required; one of Ano°ikwotsaix and four of Kdmé-
?atk?. The ritual is of the ordinary type both on this night and
on gotiim.

When the uninitiated are called in on the evening of
nebusam they see X standing behind the fire, as if to guard the
two masked figures standing on either side of him. Fluent
speakers are selected to wear these masks of Kamatétk? and
they enliven the proceedings by their arguments.

“I captured the sockeye salmon,” says one.

“You liar!’ replies another. “You were asleep. It was I
who seized the sockeye salmon.”