Chinooks music and dance

Answer 1

Among the Chinook people, inter-village feasts were held whenever the weather was good and traveling was possible. Messengers were sent to invite the guests, including one who has a guardian spirit. When people heard the one with the guardian spirit singing they knew they were to be invited. The messengers proceeded from town to town, then returned. Those invited from furthest away started first; those nearer waited for them, so that all may arrive at the same time. When they neared the destination they put their canoes side by side and laid planks across them. They would then dance upon the planks. Their faces were painted red, and their hair was strewn with feather down. Women wore dentalia, ear and hair ornaments, and necklaces. Men wore head ornaments and blackened their faces. Shamans carried batons. They sang. They would tell a woman she was to be the head dancer and she would reply that she dared not. A good dancer, man or woman, would be made head dancer. Now they would enter the house dancing. When a woman bent her head while dancing, another one raised it and would be paid. A person out of rhythm would have to sit at the side. All those who had guardian spirits would sing. The people of one town would finish dancing; then another town would begin. Small towns danced together. If the host had too little food, two youths were sent to seek the aid of relatives. They all came, bringing food and dancing on the canoes. When they brought dry salmon, five men would hold it in their mouths while they entered dancing. When they brought roots, five men would carry them on their backs as they enter dancing. (The number five was considered sacred and important in Chinook culture). After they danced for five days they would receive presents and then go back home again.