161 
districts to witness the initiation of candidates into the society of 
medicine-men. ^ The Irociuois had at least six major festivals 
throughout the year, beginning with the “ maple festival ” in the 
spring wlien the sap of the maple trees commenced to run, and 
ending with the great new year’s festival (held not at our new year, 
but about February), when in addition to prayers and orations there 
were masked dances by the “ false face society ”, and gambling with 
dice or peachstones.- The outstanding festival on the plains was the 
“ sun-dance ”, celebrated about midsummer at irregular intervals of 
two or three years. The actual celebration, which was at ten fled by 
every member of the tribe, lasted three or four days only, but its 
preparation and the ceremonies and games for which it gave occasion 
extended the period to almost a fortnight.'^ P)ven the ]irimitive north- 
ern tribes like the Eskimo had their gatherings, although of brief 
duration owing to the uncertain food supply. 
Naturally, it was on the Pacific coast, where the climate was 
mildest and food plentiful, that these half-social, half-religious enter- 
tainments most engi’ossed the attention of the aborigines. The 
Kwakiutl and Bella Coola Indians devoted almost the entire winter 
to feasts, masked dances, and ritual performances t>romoted by power- 
ful secret societies that dominated the communities during this period 
and largely supersedefl the ordinary jiolitical arrangement into clans 
aiifl houses. The northern tribes followed their example, but kept 
the societies more under control and extended the various festivals 
into other seasons of the year. 
The daily life of the aborigines with its mingled work and play 
allowed ample scope for ambition. Except on the Pacific coast it 
was possible for any man to gain the leadership in his tribe through 
courage, sagacity, and eloquence. In the Iroquoian Confederacy only 
those who belonged to certain genealogical families might obtain 
election as sachems, but there were no restrictions on warrior chief- 
tainships, and it was the warrior chieftains like Brant who exercised 
most influence during the Revolutionary wars. Even on the Pacific 
coast, if we may trust the folk-lore, men of lowly birth occasionally 
forced their way into the ranks of the nobles and won pre-eminence 
1 For a description of tlic niidc, See lioffniati. W. J. : '' The Midewiwin or Graiul Medicine Society”; 
Seycntli Ann. Kept., Bur. Etlin,, 188ri-8P, pp. H3-3'J€ (Washington, 1891). 
2 For details, See Morgan, L. H. : 0)i, cit,, jip, 175 ff. 
2 For desrrii>tions of the ” siin-daitci* ” in tlie different trilio.s, See AnI hropological Paper.s, .Ain. Miis. 
Xat. Hist., \'ol. xvi {New York. 1921). 
