172 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 45 



circle and handed a little stick to a man, who took it and danced with 

 her. The writer was told that he afterward gave her an equivalent 

 in beadwork. It is the invariable custom that a valuable gift must 

 receive an equal return and such an exchange at a dance is usually 

 arranged between the parties beforehand. 



The principal "woman's dance" was held on Tuesday. Almost 

 every woman brought a bag of gifts. This she laid on the ground 

 beside her. In beginning this dance the drum gave the proper 

 rhythm and the singers began one of the "woman's-dance" songs. 

 Three young men rose together and rushed across the circle with the 

 swoop peculiar to Chippewa dancers when making a concerted move- 

 ment. Stopping in front of three women, they danced before them, 

 laid down their gifts, and then rushed back again, seating themselves 

 and instantly looking as though nothing had occurred. During the 

 dance it is not customary for a man to ask a woman to dance unless 

 she has previously asked him to do so. This was evidently a kind 

 of preliminary demonstration. It was half an hour before the dance 

 was fairly started. At first the circle was small, only large enough 

 to reach around the drum, but later it occupied the larger part of 

 the inclosure. In this dance the people faced the drum, moving 

 slowly, the women with a side wise shuffling step, the men often using 

 the step of the war dance. 



The "woman's dance" is a merry one, and this was for pleasure 

 rather than for the gifts, so it was continued longer than usual. If an 

 exchange of gifts is the important part, it is arranged that each dance 

 shall last only two or three minutes, the dancers then seating them- 

 selves and gifts being once more presented. The gifts at this dance 

 consisted principally of calico, though some large pieces of beadwork 

 and one pony were given away. Nae'tawab' presented his pink plaid 

 blanket to one of the women. It is the custom for a dancer to hold 

 aloft the gift he or she has received that all may see it. To the 

 spectator this is more interesting when the gifts are more varied and 

 frequent, consisting of pipes, bead pouches, bead chains, strings of 

 sleigh bells, and beaded jackets. The writer has even seen a man on 

 a similar occasion "dance away" his beaded velvet costume^ one 

 piece at a time, finally leaving the circle wrapped in a blanket. 



The dancing, which began in the morning, was continued with little 

 intermission until after midnight. The scene was lighted by a full 

 moon, round and red above the pine trees. Hour after hour was 

 heard the tireless throb of the drum and the shrill voices of the 

 singers; at last they ceased and the camp fell asleep — all but the dogs, 

 which barked until nearly daybreak. At last they too were quiet, and 

 one was reminded of the words of an old Chippewa war song, "When 

 the dogs are still I will be ready to do mischief." A gray light strug- 



