THE NOMADIC PEOPLES. 1G7 



Tho ^loscalcTo coreinony lasts four nights. A 

 special l()(lj2;o is j)iiilt with many ceremonial observances. 

 Behind the fire in this lodge the girl sits and near it the 

 priest. Earl}' in the evening he begins singing the 

 songs of the ceremony keeping count of them by placing 

 small sticks in a circle about the fire beginning at the 

 east. The songs are mostly sung in groups of four, the 

 priest stopping between each set to smoke, pray, and 

 sing a special tobacco song. About twenty-five songs 

 are sung during each of the first three nights ending 

 about midnight. The girl stands and dances during 

 some of the songs, the movements changing in accord- 

 ance with the character of the songs. 



While this is taking place inside, another ceremony 

 occurs by a fire in front of the lodge. Masked and 

 painted men representing the Ganhi appear and dance 

 about the fire. The Ganhi are believed to live in the 

 interior of certain mountains and rocks where they have 

 a world which is more beautiful and better provided 

 with food than this. They apparently correspond to 

 the kachinas of the Pueblo Indians. The Indians- 

 generally, both men and women, join in the dances, 

 during the ceremony. The women choose their part- 

 ners and receive a present from them at the end of the 

 evening's dancing. The entire community is feasted 

 during the days of the ceremony. 



On the last night the priest sings all night long 

 repeating the songs of the previous nights. By in- 

 cluding or excluding certain songs he makes the pre- 

 scribed ones describing the dawn come just as dawn 

 appears. The priest paints a red disc to represent the 



