THE PIPE DANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 379, 13 June 1928, Page 6

THE PIPE DANCE

The pipe dance has always been popular with the Redskin. The Indians gather on a space of ground beaten hard like a pavement, seating themselves in a circle. In the centre sits a chief, or medicine man, in full dress, taking deep puffs at his long pipe. Among those in the circle is the tom-tom beater, and he beats in regular time on his quaint drum. Suddenl3 r one of the young Indians will jump into the circle, and, hopping first on one foot and then on the other, dance vigorously round the circle, keeping in time with the tomtom. Round and round he goes, brandishing his fists in the faces of those seated on the ground, until, grasping one of them by the hands, he jerks him to his feet and forces him into the ring. This man now dances round in the same manner as the first, who continues to hop about in the centre of the ring. The second man now jerks another into the circle, while he joins the first man in the centre. And so it goes on. until all the Indians are on t heir feet, dancing round and chanting their peculiar songs, and at times yelling lustily. This dance often lasts an hour.