dorsry.) DANCES. 355 



those of the other dance, but the songs ami dances are different. The 

 behavior of the members is not as good as that of the members of the 

 Mandan society, though quarreling is forbidden. This is a bravery 

 dance. Two women attend as singers. Two men who do not fear death 

 are the leaders in the dauce. Each one carries a " wahtSkuzi " or " wa- 

 q^xe-faze, of which the end leather on the bent part of the pole is white, 

 and the pole is wrapped in a piece of otter skin. 



§ 277. The Sun dance has not been practiced among the Omahas. They 

 cau give no account of it, though some of the ceremonies of the Ilede 

 watci, such as the procession to the place for felling the tree, the race 

 for the tree, the felling of the tree, the manner in which it is carried to 

 the village, and the preparation of the " uje^i," agree very remarkably 

 with the account of the Sun dance read by Miss A. G. Fletcher before 

 the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in August, 

 1SS2. The Ponkas obtained this dance from the Dakotas. 



§ 278. The " Wana watcig&xe," or Begging dance, is not found among 

 the Omahas ; but among the Ponkas, Dakotas, etc., the members of any 

 dancing society do dance at times iu order to get presents. 



§ 279. Ponka dancing societies. — The Ponka men have two other danc- 

 ing societies: the Gak'exe (which the Omaha Duba-ma n £i n says is the 

 same as the Hi n ska yuha of the Dakotas) and the (faduxe. No informa- 

 tion has been gained respecting these societies. 



The Ponka women have three dancing societies: the Pa-£ata n , the 

 Gat 'an a, and the Ma n/ zesk& na n 'p'i n (Those who wear silver necklaces). 



