PHILADELPHIA
PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM
1914

CONTENTS

page
[INTRODUCTION]5
[PHONETIC KEY]7
[THE DANCE IN GENERAL]9
[The Chorus]10
[Participation of the Sexes]11
[THE KÁSGI OR DANCE HOUSE]13
[Paraphernalia]15
[THE DANCE FESTIVALS]19
[The Asking Festival]22
[The Bladder Feast]26
[The Feasts to the Dead]29
[THE ANNUAL FEAST, AILĪ́GI]31
[THE GREAT FEAST, AÍTHUKĀ́TUKHTUK]33
[The Feast Givers]34
[The Ritual]35
[The Clothing of the Namesakes]38
[THE INVITING-IN FESTIVAL]40

INTRODUCTION

This account of the Dance Festivals of the Alaskan Eskimo was written from material gathered in the Bering Strait District during three years’ residence: two on the Diomede Islands, and one at St. Michael at the mouth of the Yukon River. This paper is based on my observations of the ceremonial dances of the Eskimo of these two localities.