336 Expedition to the 



The bison dance, Ta-nuguh-roat-che. The performers in 

 this dance are painted black, and are naked from the waist 

 upward, with the exception of the head-dress, which is com- 

 posed of the skin of the head of a bison, the face of which is 

 cut off and rejected, so adapted to the top of their head as to 

 resemble a cap, the horns projecting forward in such a man- 

 ner as to correspond with their appearance when on the head 

 of the bison. Attached to this head-dress, is a strip of the 

 skin from the back of the bison, which hangs down behind 

 to the buttocks like a tail. In the evolutions of the dance, 

 the\ imitate the actions of the bison. 



Amongst the Minnetarees is a ceremony called the corn 



dance, which, however, has but little claim to the title of a 



dance. Notice being given of this ceremony, by the village 



criers, the squaws repair to the medicine lodge, in which the 



magi are seated, performing their incantations, carrying with 



them a portion of each kind of seed which they respectively 



intend to plant the ensuing season ; as an ear of maize, some 



pumpkin, watermelon, or tobacco seed. These are attached 



to the end of small sticks, which are stuck in the ground so 



as to form a right line in front of the magi. The squaws 



then strip themselves entirely of their garments, and take 



their seats before the spectators. The magi then throw 



themselves into a violent agitation, singing, leaping about, 



pointing to the sky, the earth, the sun, and the north star 



successively. After these paroxysms have subsided, the 



squaws arise, and each one taking her respective sticks, holds> 



them up, with extended arms. 



One of the magi, being provided with a large bunch of 

 a species of bitter herb, dips it in a vessel of water, and 

 sprinkles copiously the seeds and persons of the squaws, with 

 much grotesque gesticulation. This concludes the ceremony, 

 when the seeds are supposed to be fertilized, and to be ca- 

 pable of communicating their fertility to any quantity of 

 their kind. 



