164 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 53 



Menominee. The distance to the Menommee settlement by rail, the 

 route taken by the writer, was about 150 miles. The Indians, how- 

 ever, left the train at Antigo, a station about half that distance from 

 Lac du Flambeau, and walked eastward 20 miles across the country. 

 This part of the trip was carefully planned — they would walk 12 

 miles the first day, camp at night, finish the journey the second day, 

 and, after camping overnight, would be ready for the ceremony. 



From the car window at Antigo they were seen starting gaily on 

 their way, strange figures on the streets of a prosperous little city. 

 They walked in groups of two or three. The packs did not seem 

 heavy nor the clutter of small articles a burden. The bearer of the 

 large drum walked alone, not forgetting his dignity, with the drum 

 fastened on his back. From withm the shawl on many a woman's 

 back there peered a grave little face with blinldng eyes. The older 

 children trudged sturdily along and the women jested together. The 

 road was hard and firm beneath the feet and the sweetness of the 

 autumn was in the air. Surely it was good to go to the country of 

 the Menominee. 



After a circuitous journey, the writer arrived the following day at 

 Neopit, a town on the Menominee Reservation. The place of the 

 ceremony was reached by drivmg westward about 5 miles through the 

 pine forest. There the Menominee were found dancing. They had 

 completed the four days of preliminaiy dancmg and, while awaiting 

 the Chippewa, they spent part of each day in their dancmg circle 

 (pi. 21). The place selected was near a vacant Government day 

 school, the house intended for the teacher and two or three cabins 

 occupied by Indians completing the settlement. An open area of 

 several acres afforded ample space for a camp. The Menominee who 

 came to attend the gathering did not use this ground but left it for 

 the Chippewa. The dancing circle was about 30 feet in diameter and 

 was outlined by a bank of earth which served as a seat for the dancers. 

 The bare earth within the circle was pounded hard, but the seat for 

 the dancers was turfed. There were three openings in the circle, 

 located approximately'' at the east, south, and west, but only the one 

 nearest the east was used; the others were narrower and had been 

 closed by logs. An American flag on a tall pole was placed near 

 the eastern openmg, where the man was seated who took the toU of 

 tobacco, each person who entered the inclosure giving him a small 

 piece. Two drums were at the right of the entrance, resting on rush 

 matting similar to that made by the Chippewa. 



Wis 'kino C'bkd"), the chief of the West Branch Settlement of the 

 Menominee, received the writer with courtesy and said, through an 

 interpreter, that the Chippewa were reported as on the way and 

 greatly wearied with their long journey. He had requested his people 

 to go to meet them and to bring the women and childi'en in their 



