ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 617 
1. The Hi'mats’a and the No’ntsistatl are initiated by Baqbakua- 
lanusi’uaé,! Baqbakua’latlé, Ha’maa, or Hia’okhaok-, the first being, 
however, by far the most important. During the dancing season the 
hd mats’a may devour corpses and bite people. It seems that in former 
times they also killed and devoured slaves. His ornaments are a very 
large head-ring, three neck-rings and bunches tied into his hair, around 
his wrists and ankles, all these ornaments being made of cedar-bark 
dyed red. His face is painted black. He has six large whistles, each 
whistle being a combination of several whistles with one common mouth- 
piece. They are called meztsé’s, which is said to mean ‘ making him gay.’ 
He dances in a squatting position, his arms being extended horizontally, 
first to one side, then to the other. His hands tremble continually. His 
eyes are staring, his lips protruding voluptuously. Others in dancing 
keep their hands pressed against the belly, to keep back the spirits which 
are supposed to dwell in the belly, and whose voices are heard, their 
voices being the sounds of the whistles. When dancing the ha'mats’a 
cries hap hip! Onthe morning when the hd’mats’a returns from the 
_ woods atthe beginning of the T's’étsd/éka he uses hemlock wreaths instead 
of cedar-bark rings. On thesame evening he dances with his cedar-bark 
ornaments. Sometimes the hd’mats’a has two or four rattles. He does 
‘not swing them himself, but has four companions, called héili’Iya or 
s@/latlila, who stand around him rattling. The highest hd/mats’a use 
the masks of the hd/ok-haok’, or of the g‘ald/kwiois. Women cannot attain 
the rank of the highest ha/mats’a, although they can become members of 
the fraternity. They use the ha’msiué (i.e., hi’matsa’s mask for the fore- 
head), but do not dance themselves, a man acting in their stead. One 
cannot become hd’mats’a unless one has been a member of one of the 
lower ranks of the Ts’étsa/éka for eight years. When the hd/mats’a 
returns from the woods the kyi’mk:’alatla (No. 10), who is his servant, 
must attend him. The latter carries a large head-ring, a small whistle, 
and a large rattle. He carries a corpse on his arms, and thus entices the 
ha'mats’a to follow him info the dancing-house. From the moment when 
he is found in the woods the s@’latlila surround him. The ky?'mk’alatla 
‘leads him into the rear of the house, leaving the large fire which is 
burning in the centre of the house to his left. Then he deposits the 
forpse, and tastes its flesh four times before giving it to the hd’mats’a. 
When the latter begins to devonr the flesh, which he must bolt, not chew, 
the kyi’mi’alatla brings him water, which the hd’mats’a drinks in 
hetween. The kyi’mk*alatla cuts the flesh in narrow strips. The bodies 
which are used in this ceremony are prepared by being soaked in salt 
water. The flesh is removed from under the skin with sharp sticks, so 
that only skin, sinews, and bones remain. When the other ha'mats’a see 
‘the corpse they make a rush at it, and fight for the flesh. The kyi’mk’’a- 
Y@ila breaks the skull and the bones, and gives them the brains and the 
‘marrow. It was stated above that the k-ué'kutsé always try to excite 
‘the mé/emkoat, and particularly the hd'mats’a. This is done by trans- 
@ressions of any of the numerous rules relating to the intercourse with 
the hd’ mats’a. Nobody is allowed to eat until he has begun. Or: he is 
offered a feast. A kettle is filled with food, and as soon as it begins 
to boil they will upset the kettle. When a Lold'tlalatl (ghost dance) 
Song is sung the hd’mats’a will become excited as soon as the word 
1 See Journ. Amen. Folk-Lore, i. p. 53, ff. 
1890. Ss 
