E. W. HAWKES THE DANCE FESTIVALS OF THE ALASKAN ESKIMO 33 



THE GREAT FEAST, AITHUKATUKHTUK 



After making offerings to his relative at the annual feast 

 the chief mourner begins saving up his skins, frozen meat, and 

 other delicacies prized by the Eskimo, until, in the course of 

 years, he has accumulated an enormous amount of food and 

 clothing. Then he is prepared to give the great feast in honor 

 of his kinsman. Others in the village, who are bereaved, have 

 been doing the same thing. They meet and agree on a certain 

 time to celebrate the feast together during the ensuing year. 

 The time chosen is usually in January after the local feasts are 

 over, and visitors from neighboring tribes are free to attend. 

 There are no set intervals between these feasts as has been 

 generally supposed. They are celebrated at irregular intervals 

 according to the convenience of the givers. 



At the minor festival preceding the Great Feast, the usual 

 invitation stakes planted before the dead are supplemented by 

 others placed before the graves of those in whose honor the 

 festival is to be given. On these is a painted model of the totemic 

 animals of the deceased. The feast giver sings an especial song 

 of invitation, requesting the dead kinsman to be present at the 

 approaching feast. 



On the first day of the Great Feast the villagers welcome 

 the guests. Early in the morning they begin to arrive. The 

 messenger goes out on the ice and leads them into the village, 

 showing each where to tie his team. During the first day 

 the guests are fed in the kasgi. They have the privilege of 

 demanding any delicacy they wish. After this they are 

 quartered on various homes in the village. Salmon or meat 



