E. W. HAWKES THE DANCE FESTIVALS OF THE ALASKAN ESKIMO 19 



THE DANCE FESTIVALS 



The Dance Festivals of the Alaskan Eskimo are held during 

 that cold, stormy period of the winter when the work of the year 

 is over and hunting is temporarily at an end. At this season 

 the people gather in the kasgi to celebrate the local rites, and at 

 certain intervals invite neighboring tribes to join in the great 

 intertribal festivals. This season of mirth and song is termed 

 'Tcauyavik" the drum dance season, from "Tcauyak" meaning 

 drum. It lasts from November to March, and is a continuous 

 succession of feasts and dances, which makes glad the heart of 

 the Eskimo and serves to lighten the natural depression caused 

 by day after day of interminable wind and darkness. A brisk 

 exchange of presents at the local festivals promotes good feeling, 

 and an interchange of commodities between the tribes at the 

 great feasts stimulates trade and results in each being supplied 

 with the necessities of life. For instance, northern tribes 

 visiting the south bring presents of reindeer skins or mukluk 

 to eke out the scanty supply of the south, while the latter in 

 return give their visitors loads of dried salmon which the 

 northerners feed to their dogs. 



The festivals also serve to keep alive the religious feeling 

 of the people, as evidenced in the Dance to the Dead, which 

 allows free play to the nobler sentiments of filial faith and 

 paternal love. The recital of the deeds of ancient heroes pre- 

 serves the best traditions of the race and inspires the younger 

 generation. To my mind, there is nothing which civilization 

 can supply which can take the place of the healthy exercise, 

 social enjoyment, commercial advantages, and spiritual uplift 



