730 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [bth.ann.14 



When everyone has satisfied his hunger, the remains of the least are 

 cleared away and the "dance" begins. At a signal given by a single 

 stroke of the bell in the left hand of the. high priest all stand up in 

 line on either side of the building. At another stroke of the bell all 

 put their right hands on their breasts. Another tap of the bell and 

 the right hand is brought out in front of the body. Another, and they 

 begin to move their right hands backward and forward like fans in 

 front of the breast, and thus continue throughout the dance, keeping 

 time also to the singing by balancing alternately upon their toes and 

 heels, as already described, without moving from their places. Ritual 

 songs are sung throughout the remainder of the service, in time with 

 the movements of the. dancers and the sounds of the drums, and regu- 

 lated by the strokes of the bell. 



Between songs anyone who wishes to speak steps out into the open 

 space. With a single tap of the bell the high priest then summons 

 his "interpreter," standing behind him, who comes forward and stands 

 beside the speaker, a few feet in front and at the right of the high 

 priest. The speaker then in a low tone tells his story — usually a 

 trance vision of the spirit world — to the interpreter, who repeats it in 

 a loud voice to the company. At the end of the recital the high priest 

 gives the signal with the. bell, when all raise their right hands with a 

 loud "Ai!" (Yes!). The high priest himself sometimes discourses also 

 to the people through the interpreter: at other times directly. 



Each song is repeated until the high priest gives the signal with the 

 bell to stop). Most of the songs consist — in the native language — of 

 seven lines. At, the end of the first line the high priest taps once with 

 the bell; at the end of the second line he taps twice, and so on to the 

 end of the song, when he rings the bell hard and continuously, and all 

 raise their hands with a loud "Ai!" Then the song leader, who stands 

 with a feather fan between the high priest and the drummers, starts 

 the next song. 



The first song is given by all standing motionless, with the right hand 

 on the breast and with eyes cast downward. It may be rendered: 



Verily, verily, Our Brother made the body. 



He gave it a spirit ami the body iim\ od. 



Then he counted out the words for ns to speak. 



Another begins: 



Verily, Our Brother put salmon in the water to lie our food. 



Another begins: 



< i, brothers! ( >, sisters! 



When tirst the light struck this world, it lighted the world forever. 



Our Brother (Nami Piap) is the term used in referring to the creating 

 spirit, instead of "our father," as we might expect them to say. 



On leaving, at the close of the ceremony, the man nearest the high 

 priest passes around in front of him and down along in front of the 



