920 THE GHOST-DANCE RELIGION [eth.ann. 14 



in the trance, he has seen worn by sonic departed relative. If he has 

 not yet been in a trance, the design is suggested by a vision of one who 

 does the painting. In making the request the dancer lays his hands 

 upon the head of the leader and says, "My father. I have come to be 

 painted, so that I may see my friends; have pity on me and paint me," 

 the sacred paint being held to sharpen the spiritual vision as well as to 

 be conducive to physical health. The painting consists of elaborate 

 designs in red. yellow, green, and bine upon the face, with a red or 

 yellow line along the parting of the hair. Suns, crescents, stars. crosses, 

 and birds (crows) are the designs in most common use. 



THE CEREMONY 



The dance commonly begins about the middle of the afternoon or 

 later, alter sundown. When it begins in the afternoon, there is always 

 an intermission of an hour or two for supper. The announcement is 

 made by the criers, old men who assume this office apparently by tacit 

 understanding, who go about the camp shouting in a loud voice to the 

 people to prepare for the dance. The preliminary painting and dressing 

 is usually a work of about two hours. When all is ready, the leaders 

 walk out to the dance place, and facing inward, join hands so as to form 

 a small circle. Then, without moving from their places they sing the 

 opening song, according to previous agreement, in a soft undertone. 

 Having sung it through once they raise their voices to their full 

 strength and repeat it, this time slowly circling around in the dance. 

 The step is different from that of most other Indian dances, but very 

 simple, the dancers moving from right to left, following the course of 

 the sun. advancing the left foot and following it with the right, hardly 

 lifting the feet from the ground. For this reason it is called by 

 the Shoshoni the "dragging dance." All the songs are adapted to 

 the simple measure of the dance step. As the song rises and swells the 

 people come singly and in groups from the several tipis, and one after 

 another joins the circle until any number from fifty to five hundred 

 men, women, and children are in the dance. When the circle is small, 

 each song is repealed through a number of circuits. If large, it is 

 repeated only through one circuit, measured by the return of the lead 

 ers to the starting point. Each song is started in the same manner, 

 first in an undertone while the singers stand still in their places, and 

 then with full voice as they begin to circle around. At intervals 

 between the songs, more especially alter thi' trances have begun, the 

 dancers unclasp hands and sit down to smoke or talk for a few minutes. 

 At such times the leaders sometimes deliver short addresses or ser- 

 mons, or relate the recent trance experience of the dancer. In holding 

 each other's hands the dancers usually intertwine the fingers instead 

 of grasping the hand as with ns. Only an Indian could keep the 

 blanket in place as they do under such circumstances. Old people 

 hobbling along with sticks, and little children hardly past the toddling 

 period sometimes form a part of the circle, the more vigorous dancers 



