354 OMAHA SOCIOLOGY. 



a girl whom he admires he boils for a feast, and invites the guests. 

 All the young men assemble, and the unmarried girls and boys attend, 

 though the girls never go without a proper escort. Mothers take their 

 daughters, and husbands go with their wives. 



The dance is held in a large earth-lodge, in the middle ol which a fire 

 is kept up, and candles are placed on supports around the walls. Some- 

 times the boys blow out the lights all at once after a preconcerted 

 signal, and great confusion ensues. All wear their gayest clothing and 

 plenty of ornaments. Fine ribbon is worn on clothing, hats. etc. 



When a youth wishes to court a girl, he waits till the girl approaches 

 him in the dance. Then he takes her by the hands, and dances facing 

 her. As there is great confusion, no one else can hear him addressing 

 her, his face being very close to her's. Every time the drumming stops, 

 the dancers in each pair change places, but they still face each other. 



When a woman or girl wishes a man as a partner, she takes him by 

 the hands when hegetsclose to her in the dance. 



When a distant " mother's brother " meets one whom he calls his 

 niece, he may address her thus in sport : "A n watcigaxe tai, wihe" ! " i. e., 

 " Second daughter of the family, let us dance." She replies, " Give me 

 pay." So he makes her a present of a necklace or of some other orna- 

 ment, and she dances with him. A real uncle never acts thus. 



Sometimes when a girl spies among the spectators an aged man who 

 is a kinsman, she will rush to him in sport, take him by the hands, pull 

 him to bis feet, and make him dance with her. On the other hand, when 

 a young man spies an aged female relative looking on, he may rush to 

 her, in sport, and pull her into the ring making her dance with him. 



There is a feast after the dance. If there is but a small supply of 

 food only the women and girls eat-; but if there is plenty, the men wait 

 till the others have eaten awhile, then they partake. After the feast 

 the guests go home ; but they sleep nearly all of the following day, as 

 they are very tired. 



§ 275. The Mandan dance. — The Ponkas obtained this dance from the 

 Dakotas and the Omahas learned it from the Ponkas. None but aged 

 men and those in the prime of life belong to this society. All are ex- 

 pected to behave themselves, to be sober, and refrain from quarreling 

 and fighting among themselves. (For an account of one of their feasts, 

 see § 111.) 



This dance is celebrated as a bravery dance over the bodies of any 

 warriors who have been slain by the enemy. Each body is placed in a 

 sitting posture in the lodge, as if alive, and with a rattle of deers' claws 

 fastened to one arm. (See Contributions to N. A. Ethnology, Vol. 

 VI, Part I, pp. 431, 452.) This dance has been obsolete for some time 

 among the Omahas. It was danced in 1853. (See § 218.) 



§ 27G. The TuJcdla dance was obtained from the Dakotas by the Ponkas, 

 who taught it to the Omahas. This dance is for boys what the Mandan 

 dance is for aged men and men in the prime of life. Its rules resemble 



