THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 317 



riety of dances and other amusements, the most of which I have described on former 

 occasions. One, however, was new to me, and I must say a few words of it. This 

 was the Eagle dance, a v#ry pretty scene, which is got up by their young men in honor 

 of that bird, for which they seem to have a religious regard. This picturesque dance 

 was given by twelve or sixteen men, whose bodies were chiefly naked and painted 

 white with white clay, and each one holding in his hand the tail of the eagle, while 

 his head was also decorated with an eagle's quill (Plate 227, No. 449). Spears were 

 stuck in the ground, around which the dance was performed by four men at a time, 

 who had simultaneously, at the beat of the drum, jumped up from the ground where 

 they had all sat in rows of four, one row immediately behind the other, and ready to 

 take the place of the first four when they left the ground fatigued, which they did 

 by hopping or jumping around behind the rest, and taking their seats, ready to come 

 up again in their turn, after each of the other sets had been through the same forms. 

 In this dauce the steps, or rather jumps, were different from anything I had ever 

 witnessed before, as the dancers were squat down, with their bodies almost to the 

 ground, in a severe and most difficult posture, as will have been seen in the drawing. — 

 G. C. 



450. Slave Dance, Sacs and Foxes. A society of young men who volunteer to be 



slaves for two years, and elect their chief or master ; they are then exempt 

 from slavish duties during the remainder of their lives, and are allowed to 

 go on war parties. Painted in 1836. 



(Plate No. 291, page 213, vol. 2, Catlin's Eight Years.) 

 The Slave dance is a picturesque scene, and the custom in which it is founded a very 

 curious one. This tribe has a society which they call the slaves, composed of a num- 

 ber of the young men of the best families in the tribe, who volunteer to be slaves for 

 the term of two years, and subject to perform any menial service that the chief may 

 order, no matter how humiliating or how degrading it may be ; by which, after serv- 

 ing their two years, they are exempt for the rest of their lives, on war parties or other 

 excursions, or wherever they may be, from all labor or degrading occupations, such 

 as cooking, making fires, &c. 



These young men elect one from their numbers to be their master, and all agree to 

 obey his command, whatever it may be, and which is given to him by one of the chiefs 

 of the tribe. On a certain day or season of the year they have to themselves a great 

 feast, and preparatory to it the above-mentioned dance. — G. C. 



451. Snow-Shoe Dance, Ojibbeway; danced at the first fall of snow, with snow- 



snoes on the feet. Painted in 1835, at Fort Snelling, Minn. 

 (Plate No. 243, page 140, vol. 2, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



Song of thanks to the Great Spirit. 



Many were the dances given to me on different places, of which I may make fur- 

 ther use and further mention on future occasions, but of which I shall name but one 

 at present, the Snow-shoe dance (Plate 243), which is exceedingly picturesque, being 

 danced with the snow-shoes under the feet, at the falling of the first snow, in the be- 

 ginning of winter, when they sing a song of thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for 

 sending them a return of snow, when they can* run on their snow-shoes in their valued 

 hunts and easily take the game for their food. — G. C. 



452. Brave's Dance, Ojibbeway; bragging and boasting. (Painted in 1835. No 



plate). 



453. Pipe Dance, Assineboins. Each dancer is " smoked" by the chief, who sits 



smoking his pipe, and is then pulled up into the dance. 

 (Plate No. 32, page 55, vol. 1, Catlin's Eight Years.) 



