918 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.amk.14 



SONG REHEARSALS 



As witli church choirs, the leaders, both men and women, frequently 

 assembled privately in a tipi to rehearse the new or old songs for the 

 next dance. During the first winter spent among the Arapaho I had 

 frequent opportunity of being present at these rehearsals, as for a long- 

 time the snow was too dec]) to permit dancing outside. After having 

 obtained their confidence the Arapaho police invited me to come up to 

 their camp at night to hear them practice the songs in anticipation of 

 better weather for dancing. Thenceforth rehearsals were held in Black 

 Coyote's tipi almost every night until the snow melted, each session 

 usually lasting about three hours. 



<>u these occasions from eight to twelve persons were present, sitting 

 in a circle on the low beds around the lire in the center. Black Coyote 

 acted as master of ceremonies and opened proceedings by filling and 

 lighting the redstone pipe, offering the first whirl' to the sun, then 

 reversing the stem in offering to the earth, next presenting the pipe to 

 the fire, and then to each of the four cardinal points. He then took a 

 few puffs himself, after which he passed the pipe to his next neighbor, 

 who went through the same preliminaries before smoking, and thus the 

 pipe went round the circle, each one taking only a few puffs before 

 passing it on. The pipe was then put back into its pouch, and Black 

 Coyote, standing with his face toward the northwest, the messiah's 

 country, with eyes closed and arms outstretched, made a fervent prayer 

 for help and prosperity to his tribe, closing with an earnest petition 

 to the messiah to hasten his coming. The others listened in silence 

 with bowed heads. The prayer ended, they consulted as to the song 

 to be. sung first, which Black Coyote then started in a clear musical 

 bass, the others joining. From time to time explanations were made 

 where the meaning of the song was not clear. They invited me to call 

 for whatever songs I wished to hear, and these songs were repeated 

 over and over again to give me an opportunity to write them down, but 

 they waived extended discussion until another time. Usually the men 

 alone were the singers, but sometimes Black Coyote's wives or other 

 women who were present joined in the songs. It was noticeable that 

 even in these rehearsals the women easily fell under the excitement of 

 the dance. Finally, about 10 oclock, all rose together and sang the 

 closing song, N~i'ninitubi'na Huhu, "The Crow has given the signal." and 

 the rehearsal was at an end. On one occasion, before I had obtained 

 this song, 1 called for it in order that I might write it down, but they 

 explained that we must wait awhile, as it was the closing song, and if 

 lliey sung it then they must quit for the night. 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE DANCE 



On several occasions the dance ground was consecrated before the 

 performance, one of the leaders going all about the place, sprinkling 

 some kind of sacred powder over the ground and praying the while. 



