526 
FOREST AND STREAM 
The kaan, or rear portion, of the house is the 
place of honor, and is accorded to the headmen, 
the best hunters, and visitors of distinction—the 
kaaklim; the right and left are the second best; 
while the oaklitn, or front part, the coldest part 
of the kazgi being near the entrance, is given the 
worthless and homeless, who contribute nothing 
to the support of the village. Directly above the 
fireplace is the ralok, or smokehole, which is 
covered with a strip of walrus intestine. Often 
the shaman makes a spectacular entrance by this 
means. It is also used as a window when the 
kazgi is overcrowded, people standing on the top 
of the house and looking through. 
THE NASKUK, OR MAKER OF THE 
FEAST. 
The maker of the feast is known as the 
nashuk, or head. With this feast in view, he 
saves for years, as he has to feed the entire 
tribe of visitors during the first day of the fes¬ 
tival. But although he often beggars himself, 
he gains great fame among the Eskimo, and lays 
all his guests under lasting obligation to him. 
In this respect the “Inviting-In” Feast resembles 
the potlatch of the Alaskan Indian; and is often 
confused with the same by the white population. 
The naskuk, having announced his intention 
to the villagers assembled in the kazgi, a messen¬ 
ger is chosen—usually at the nomination of the 
naskuk —to carry the invitation to the visitors. 
There is considerable rivalry for this position 
among the young men, as the messenger is 
newly clothed from head to foot. In a new 
squirrel-skin parka, plentifully trimmed with 
wolverine, reindeer boots, and sealskin leggings, 
he presents a brave appearance. 
In his hand he bears the aiyaguk, or asking- 
stick. This is a long slender wand with three 
globes, made from strips of wood hanging from 
the end. When the messenger delivers the in¬ 
vitation, he swings the globes to and fro in 
front of the person addressed. The asking-stick 
as the symbol of the wishes of the tribe, is treat¬ 
ed with scrupulous respect by the Eskimo; and 
it would be a lasting disgrace for anyone to dis¬ 
regard it. During the ceremonies it is hung up 
over the kazgi entrance. The messenger re¬ 
ceives the asking-stick from the hands of the 
naskuk, together with an intimation of what 
presents would be acceptable to his tribe. As 
most Eskimo festivals result in more or less 
trading, it is usually some skins or other article 
of which the tribe is in need. In this case it 
was a request for ugruk (bearded seal) skins, 
which are general in use for tnukluk (boot) soles. 
Having arrived at the visiting tribe, he en¬ 
ters the kazgi on hands and knees, and presents 
the asking-stick to the village headman, with 
the message from his tribe. If the answer is 
favorable he is raised to his feet, and after he 
has learned the wishes of his visitors, is feasted 
to his heart s content, and sent home loaded 
with presents. 
In the meantime, the home tribe gathers night¬ 
ly in the kazgi, awaiting his return. When it 
is rumored that he is near, the vigil continues 
day and night. On his arrival, he crawls into 
the kazgi and presents the asking-stick to the 
naskuk, with the answer. If the answer is 
favorable, preparations begin immediately, and 
the village is scoured for the necessary gifts. 
It is a point of. honor between the tribes to ex¬ 
ceed the requests as much as possible. The visit¬ 
ing tribe also has the privilege of demanding 
any delicacy of the naskuk during the first day’s 
feast which fancy may suggest. This usually 
takes the form of meat out of season, or Eskimo 
“ice-cream”—a concoction of reindeer tallow, 
blueberries, and chunks of whitefish kneaded 
in the snow until it is frozen. Sometimes the 
naskuk is hard put to it, but he must produce 
the necessary articles, or be disgraced forever. 
THE DANCE SONGS. 
When the feast has been decided upon, the 
people gather nightly in the kazgi to rehearse. 
The songs are the property of some old man, 
the storehouse of tribal tradition; and he “sells” 
them to the different dancers, as the Eskimo 
say, which means that he teaches the people the 
proper dances for the festival, and they make 
him presents in turn. When the villagers have 
assembled, the oil lamps are extinguished, and 
the people sit in darkness, while the old man 
gives out the songs—a few words at a time. 
Weeks are consumed in learning them properly; 
in acquiring every rise and fall, proper shade, 
and intonation. The drum is the only instru¬ 
ment employed. It is shaped like a tambourine, 
about two feet in diameter, and covered on one 
side with a thin membrane of the bladder of 
the walrus or seal. It is held by the handle 
level with the face, and struck with a flat thin 
stick. The northern tribes strike the back of 
the rim; but the Yukon tribes the face of the 
drum. 
With the Eskimo, rhythm is everything. The 
songs are based on the double drum-beat: two 
quick beats, then a pause, then two more. At 
any moment the leader drops an octave or 
changes the key; but the others follow instinct¬ 
ively, and there is no break or discord. 
The chorus usually consists of six men, led 
by the old man, who acts as prompter, calling 
off the words of the song a line ahead. The 
measure begins softly to a light tapping of the 
drums; then, at a given signal, comes a crash¬ 
ing double beat; the leader announces the dance 
in stentorian tones, the song thunders out, soar¬ 
ing high until the voices of the singers crack; 
then drops to lower pitch and breaks off 
abruptly in the middle of the measure. Every 
one is privileged to join in after the song has 
been started; and the shrill treble of the women 
and children can be distinctly heard above the 
shouting of the men and the thumping of the 
drums. 
The Eskimo dances naturally and enthusias¬ 
tically, stamping each foot twice in succession, 
and jerking his arms 'to the double beat of the 
drums. The women dance differently, swaying 
the body from the hips, and waving the arms 
with outspread palms. Both sexes have dances 
of their own, but occasionally dance together, 
the woman being the central figure and the men 
dancing around her. Nothing pleases the Es¬ 
kimo more than exaggerated imitation by one 
of their clever actors of the woman’s dance. 
The northern style of dancing differs as much 
from the southern as does the beating of the 
drums. The northerners leap and bound and 
stamp out their lines with tremendous vigor; 
while the southerners sit on the floor of the 
kazgi, and, adorned with fillets and masks and 
feathers, wave their hands in graceful unison. 
The “Inviting-In” dances partake somewhat 
of the nature of the nith contests of Greenland. 
Each party puts forth its best actors, and strives 
in every way to outdo the other. During the 
first day, when the comic dances are on, the 
tribe succeeding/ in making the other laugh 
can demand anything of them they wish. The 
best dancers receive valuable presents. 
The actors themselves go through the same 
general motions as the ordinary dancers, never 
losing a step or a gesture, at the same time fit¬ 
ting their movements to the character in hand. 
As much as possible they strive to make every 
gesture expressive, and succeed so well that a 
stranger could tell the part they represent, even 
if the prompter did not call it out at the be¬ 
ginning of the song. In fact, I have often 
wondered if they were not possessed by the 
spirit of the animal they depicted when dancing, 
as the Eskimo believe. 
The actor’s* outfit consists of a face mask, 
armlets, finger masks, and fillets. In certain 
dances the actor also carries a staff- The masks 
are of two types—those intended to excite merri¬ 
ment and good feeling among the guests, and 
those worn to honor the inua of the animals in 
whose honor the dance is given. They are made 
by some noted shaman employed by the tribe, 
who also has general directions of the dances. 
They are very clever representations and will 
be described as they occur in the dances. 
The finger masks are diminutive masks with 
an animal head in miniature. They are plentiful¬ 
ly adorned with feathers; which give the idea 
of flying as the dancers’ arms sweep through 
the air. The women (supporting dancers) use 
plain handlets of woven grass and feathers. The 
armlets and fillets are of fur or feathers corre¬ 
sponding to the animal represented. 
COMIC DANCES. 
First Day. The dances the first day are of a 
comic character. If, during the day’s dances, 
the home tribe can succeed in making the visitors 
laugh, they can ask of them anything they wish. 
Entering the kazgi, I noticed that the walls 
and inlak had been hung with white drilling 
(katuktokuowitklok) , as a gift to the visitors; 
who, in their turn, had covered the floor with 
ugruk (bearded seal) skins. Shortly after the 
people began to file in. 
As each man entered he threw down a small 
gift before the naskut, as is customary on such 
occasions. As soon as every one was settled, 
the dances began. Strange noises were heard 
in the tunnel, gradually approaching the room. 
Then a horrible-looking wooden face was thrust 
up through the entrance hole, worn by the chief 
comic dancer of the Unalit. The mask was 
made lop-sided, with one cheek higher than 
the other, and the mouth and eyebrows twisted 
to one side. One eyelet was round, the other 
being in the shape of a half moon. A stubby 
moustache and beard of mink fur, and labrets 
of green beads, completed the ludicrous effect. 
He gazed around the audience in silence for a full 
minute, throwing the children into fits of mingled 
terror and delight. Then the leader commenced 
the dance invitation, and the pantomime began. 
Sitting in front of the hole, the actor gesticu¬ 
lated with his feather handlets after the usual 
manner of the Eskimo; occasionally turning his 
head from side to side with the foolish stare 
of a crazy person. But the Malemiut visitors, 
though their eyes twinkled, never cracked a smile. 
Then he disappeared through the hole, com¬ 
ing up with a hideous green mask, with a long 
nose, and a big red streak for a mouth. Sur- 
(iContinued on page 551.) 
