ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 577 



sang Olala' songs, all of which have a five-part rhythm (J J JY He 



tried to fly again, but was unable to get out of the house. Finally he was 

 tamed and became a man. Then the Gyit'ama't took him back to his 

 home and received in return many slaves, coppers, and canoes. 



The ceremonies take place in the month Lok^s Ein giinaqk (cold month, 

 or December). 



The LotlE'm dance in a two-part rhythm : their call is a sharp h, h ; 

 their movements sudden jerks of the foreai-ms, first the left moving up to 

 the shoulder, while the right moves down, then vice versa. 



The Meitla' dance in a three-part rhythm. The last two dances 

 correspond to the Nontsista'latl of the Kwakiutl. When the members of 

 these societies are in a state of ecstasy, they throw fire around and knock 

 to pieces canoes, houses, and anything they can lay their hands on. 



The insignia of the societies are made of cedar-bark dyed red in a 

 decoction of alder-bark. For each repetition of the ceremony a new ring is 

 added to the head ornament of the dancer. Those of tlie LotlE'm and 

 Olala' consist therefore of rings placed one on top of the other, while the 

 Meitla' receives first a red ring, the second time a white ring, and so on 

 alternating. His rings are twisted together. 



There are only a limited number of places in the societies, and a new 

 member can be admitted only when he inherits the place of a deceased 

 member, or if a member transfers his place to him. If such a transfer is 

 to take place, the consent of the chiefs of the clans must first be obtained.. 

 Then one evening the chiefs during a feast surround the youth and act as 

 though they had caught the spirit of the society in their hands and throw 

 it upon the novice. If he is to be a LotlE'm, a noise : hou, hou, is heard 

 on the roof of the house, and the youth faints. The LotlE'm (or the 

 members of the society in which he is to be initiated) are called to 

 investigate why the youth fainted. They enter singing, their heads 

 covered with down. They place him on an elk-skin, carry him around the 

 fire, then they throw the youth upward and show the people that he is 

 lost. After some time, when the novice is expected back, the people 

 assemble in the house, and all the members of the nobility try to bring him 

 back by the help of their spirits. In order to do this they dance with the 

 head ornaments of their clans, their rattles, dancing blankets, aprons and 

 leggings, or they use the head ornament representing two bears' ears,, 

 which is made of bearskin set with woman's hair, which is dyed red : this 

 ornament is used by all clans ; or they wear masks representing their 

 guardian spirits {nEqno't). As an example of these I will describe the 

 spii'it of sleep (woq) which belongs to the GyispawaduwE'da. The owner 

 of this spirit appears sleeping, his face covered with a mask, the eyes of 

 which are shut. Then a chief steps up and tries to awake him by hauling 

 the drowsiness out of him with both his hands. Then the eyes of the 

 mask are opened, and roll while the man who wears the mask rises. The 

 chief who took the drowsiness out of him asks if he shall try to put the 

 people to sleep, and on being asked to do so he throws his hands open. 

 The riEqno'k- is supposed to enter the people, and all close their eyes. 

 After some time he gathers the drowsiness again, and they awake and 

 sing :— 



I ■.AimotlKoqlmd' , aiwotlwogliO' : \ 



Oh 1 how sleepy we are. Oh I how sleepy we are. 



1895. 



p P 



