E. W. HAWKES THE DANCE FESTIVALS OF THE ALASKAN ESKIMO 25 



Then the men and women gathered in the kasgi where the 

 exchanges were made through the messenger. If anyone did 

 not have the gift requested he was in honor bound to secure it 

 as soon as possible and present it to his partner. Those exchang- 

 ing gifts entered a relationship termed oiloguk, and among the 

 northern tribes where the ancient forms persevere, they con- 

 tinued to exchange presents throughout succeeding festivals. 



After this exchange, a dance was performed by the women. 

 They stripped to the waist, and taking their places on the 

 iriglak, went through a series of motions in unison. These varied 

 considerably in time and movement from the conventional 

 women's dance. 



According to custom at the conclusion of the dance any man 

 has the privilege of asking any unmarried woman through the 

 messenger, if he might share her bed that night. If favorably 

 inclined, she replies that he must bring a deerskin for bedding. 

 He procures the deerskin, and presents it to her, and after the 

 feast is over remains with her for the night. 



Whether these temporary unions lead to permanent marriage 

 I was unable to find out. The gift of reindeer skin is very like 

 the suit of clothing given in betrothal and would furnish 

 material for the parka which the husband presents to his bride. 

 The fact that the privilege is limited to unmarried women might 

 be also urged in turn. As the system of exchanging wives was 

 formerly common among the Alaskan Eskimo, and as they distrib- 

 ute their favors at will, it is rather remarkable that the married 

 women are not included, as in the licentious feasts recorded of 

 the Greenlanders. 1 From talks with some of the older Eskimo 

 I am led to regard this as a relic of an ancient custom similar 



1 See Hans Egede, Det Gamle Gronlands Nye Perlustration, p. 78. 



