NELSON] GREAT FEAST TO THE DEAD 373 



more. This lasted about half an Lour, and was greatly enjoyed by the 

 children, each trying to procure more than the next, while the spec 

 tators appeared to be much amused. 



Meanwhile berries and fish were handed about among the adults, who 

 sat packed around the sides of the room. Then the women feast givers 

 made presents of straw pads for skin boots and finely combed grass for 

 towels, the trader and myself getting our portion. The feast givers 

 then made an offering of water before each of the lamps, by pouring 

 a little on the floor, after which they gave the remainder to the 

 namesakes. 



Later the two tiers of benches along the sides of the room were 

 crowded with men, and in the middle of the floor was a compact mass of 

 women and children, leaving a narrow passage around the sides next to 

 the wall, so that the feast givers could move about the lamps. 



In a short time they came in and took their usual places by the 

 lamps. The women among them had brought a large number of small 

 articles, such as spruce gum, wooden snow knives for children, wooden 

 ladles, dishes, spruce root used for lashing, willow splints for fish traps, 

 reindeer sinew thread, and various other things. When all were in 

 the room and seated the husband or nearest male relation of each of 

 the women feast givers arose and held up the articles one after another, 

 making depreciative remarks about them, as if they had been obtained 

 so easily that they were of trifling value. One of the men held up 

 some reindeer sinew, saying. &quot;Look at this. What is it? I don t 

 know. I was sitting in the snow last spring and it fell before me from 

 the sky.&quot; Another said, holding up another article, &quot;Look at this. It 

 was given me by Charlie&quot; (the fur trader who was with me at the fes 

 tival). ISome of these remarks were quite amusing, causing everyone 

 to laugh heartily, and the whole performance was very much enjoyed. 



When the men had finished this preliminary announcement the women 

 arose and each one called out the names of those to whom she wished to 

 make presents, and when the latter answered the articles were handed 

 or tossed to them. As there were a dozen or more persons calling out 

 and replying at the same time, the uproar was very great. Instead of 

 calling the person s real name in every case, some of the women gave 

 them apt nicknames. My presence in the village to obtain ethno 

 logical specimens had excited great curiosity, and one woman caused 

 shouts of laughter by crying out, &quot;Where is the buyer of good-for- 

 nothing things?&quot; and then handed me some presents. 



For the first time during any part of the ceremony the feast givers 

 stood erect while distributing these presents. When nearly all of 

 the articles had been distributed, a small stick, attached to the end 

 of a line, was dropped down through the smoke hole in the roof. One of 

 the women feast givers who was sitting below caught hold of it and 

 began to draw in the line. As she did this she sang a slow-measured 



