Potlatch

CHINOOK The Potlatch. When a chief intends to give a potlatch, four,
five, or six men are sent out in a canoe [to invite the guests]. One
man who has a guardian spirit is sent among them. When they approach
a town the man who has the guardian spirit sings. The people of that
town hear him and say, "Oh, we are going to be invited." The
messengers land and tell the people to come. Then they go to the
next town. After having visited all the towns they go home. Now the
people make themselves ready. They wait for those who live farthest
away. When they arrive they all go down the river together. Thus
they do also when a chief on the upper part of the river has sent an
invitation. They go up the river together. When they reach the town
to which they were invited they put their canoes side by side and
lay planks across. This is done with all their canoes. Now they
dance, and those who have guardian spirits sing. The people dance on
the planks. Their faces are painted red, their hair is strewn with
down. All the women wear their dentalia, their ear and hair
ornaments, and their necklaces. They wear good blankets. Braves wear
their head ornaments and their faces are blackened. Shamans carry
their batons. They sing and finally land. Then they tell a
woman, "You shall be our head dancer." She replies, "No; I do not
dare to do it." One who knows how to dance well is made head dancer,
a man or a woman. Now they enter the house dancing. When a woman
[while dancing] bends her head, another one goes and raises it. Then
she pays her for having made her head straight. When a person gets
out of rhythm, he is taken to the side of the house and must sit
down there. All those who have guardian spirits sing. When the
people of one town have finished, those of another town enter
dancing. When there are not many people of one town, those of two
towns enter together. When the house is large, the people of three
towns will enter together. If the host has too little food, two
youths are sent and told, "Go and ask my relatives to bring food."
The youths go to a town and ask the [host's relatives] to bring
food. They all come and bring food. They also dance on the canoes
and land. They enter the house dancing. When they bring dry salmon,
five men hold it in their mouths while they enter the house dancing.
When they bring roots, five men carry them on their backs when they
enter the house dancing. After the people have danced five days they
receive presents. One man is asked [to stand near the host and] to
name the people. First he names the chief of one town. When the host
is liberal, he gives the man who calls out the names a blanket. Or
he is given long dentalia. After one town is finished, another one
receives presents. Again first the chief is called. When he drags
his present he is called back. Men as well as women are thus given
presents. The people are forbidden to shoot with arrows during the
potlatch. If a man should want to fight against the people of a town
and shoot an arrow, then the people would fight and several would be
killed. The women receive each a fathom of short dentalia. Only men
are given long dentalia. Common men receive short dentalia. If a
chief has many dentalia, then every one receives two fathoms of
short dentalia.