MICHELSON.] WHITE BUFFALO’S LEFT-HOOF SACRED PACK. 223 
When they use those songs they are only sung loudly. When the 
time comes for them, they wait to tell them of it. The singers are 
told: ‘‘You must indeed sing loud so the manitou may hear you.” 
Then the dancers are also told, ‘‘ You must at least dance hard.” 
That is what the dancers are told now. ‘‘We are seeking for life 
with our feet for ourselves when we think about the manitous in this 
way. We do wish in our hearts that it be given us alone. It is for 
every one of us who is sitting down in here. Life is what we ask for 
from the White Buffalo.” 
That is the reason why (the dancers) are told, ‘‘Dance, dance 
hard.” 
To-day the dancers have ceased to be so religiously restricted as 
those formerly were religiously restricted. The dancers (now) cease 
to dance whenever they are tired. Again, they now even talk to 
each other. 
The men, too, smoke while dancing just as well (as at other times). 
They do not, however, use words as in courting. Also the men did 
not, however, talk about carnal love. They do that now. They do 
not now go around inviting them to dance. Indeed just anyone who 
wishes to goes over to dance. 
The one who is to dance is not now called in. The one that is 
informed now is the woman who is to take the lead. She is the one 
whom the ceremonial attendant goes to tell. He is the only one; 
no one else tells her of it. The leading ceremonial attendant is the 
one that informs her. ‘‘It is said that to-morrow, early, you are to 
go and dance,” she is told. She then knows that she is to be the 
leader of the dance. 
This is the way they do now when they worship the White Buffalo. 
Now just anyone dances as long as he wants to dance. 
The performance of the gens festival, though, is yet done in the 
same way it was done long ago. Those giving the gens festival to-day 
do not change (the rule) in any way. 
The dancers themselves have ceased to do as was done. The 
older ones are the only ones who dance quietly now. They are the 
ones who still follow it, and some young (people) still follow it a 
little. Some do not follow it at all. They just dance violently 
unknowingly. The women do that indeed. There are not many 
men who are young and who dance violently but unknowingly. 
There are yet many young women who dance quietly. The women 
yet believe in it more than (men). There are few young men 
(who do). 
