WINTER CEREMONIAL DANCES 63

attend every kusiut dance. Usually all kukusiut do so in any
case, but the attendance of all novices and those who have
had calls is obligatory. If the dancer’s face has been black-
ened, it must be kept so during this period. At every gotiim
he dances to his eight songs, and throughout the ceremonial
season has the power of attracting to himself the spirit of an
uninitiated person. He sleeps in whatever house a dance is
taking place, but is forbidden to hold sexual intercourse except
in his own, which, of course, is possible only when a call comes
to another housemate. Failure to obey this injunction was
formerly punished by the marshals with death. These rules
apply to every dancer.

Aiqunidm enters Nusqulxwaista at the winter solstice, and
at that time calls come to those kukusiut of whom he is patron.
It is uncertain whether or not this entails the regular ceremony
of four nights’ duration. On the entry of the supreme being,
Noakxnim seizes his paddle (or pole?), returns to Smaien-a,
and then descends the Bella Coola River. It is believed by
the uninitiated that X can see him as he passes, and the singers
compose a ninth song for him. The words describe how the
departing Nodkxnim empties a large number of olachen into
the river.2® X dances to it, but no call comes to him. This
final episode of the complicated ritual occurs, of course, after
calls have come to other kukusiut.

It sometimes happens that no kusiut of whom Noakxnwm is
patron has enough food to give the lengthy dance just de-
scribed, but some type of ritual is necessary to inaugurate the
ceremonial season. Accordingly, someone with the proper
prerogative is asked by the marshals to see Nodkxnum when at
the mouth of the river; then, when he passes upstream four
days later, a call can come to any kusiut. This abbreviated
ceremony, termed Imd?tindjutqwisan, is carried out in the
manner described above, except that it is completed in four
days with only two songs.

*°Noakxnum is accordingly often called Nudluisnum.