DANCE

‘The sceret socicties of the tribes
of the North West Coast are social
organizations ; some, Very complex
in their ceremonies, probably were
connected with wat for purposes of
protection and the celebration of
vietory,

Time has moditled the customs
of the orders, and for the most part
the eclebrations are confined to the
winter or time of feasting,

The regalia used in the eeremon-
jals are masks, whistles or devil
blowers, head and neck rings of
cedar bark dyed deep red with the
juice of the alder,

The five principal orders in ex-
istence are the Hamatsa or Tanise
(cannibal), Nothlem (canine dance)
Nounlthgiesta, Mielthla, Oolala.
The above inasks, worn hy the can-
nibals, though rather gruesome,
gracethe walls of the study at the
mission house. ‘This dance however
isno longer indulged amongst christ-
ian Indians, It is rather difficult to

oe

MASKS.

ascertain the origin of the cannibal
dance feasts in British Columbia
very probably Kitumaat or Bella

i It is thought that 60 or 70
\ ago, the Tsimpsheans obtain-
ed it from the south and about the
same time the Kwaguilth obtained
it from the north thus pointing to the
vicinity of the afore mentioned vil-
lages as the seat of origin,

In the centre of the pict ure,
there are two masks, one of them
representing the “sleep dance’ is
placed on the top of the tanise mask
for its photograph. In the cere-
mony of sleep giving, the chief,
using the mask catches the spirit
of sleep by awaking one out of
sleep. Getting the drowsiness from
the waking man, he proe eds to put
the people to sleep, Letting go the
spirit, it enters all the people, who
close their eyes and sleep while he
sings in a droning strain.

gern,

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Bene nee