Kashia men's dances, Southwestern Pomo Indians

Is oh. Mhm. Dancing was an important part of the religious ceremonies of most California Indians. Certain ceremonies were secret with participation confined to a select few others were open to all. In many of the ancient dances, men

were the principal participants. The women sometimes danced at the side. There were other ceremonies which the women were never permitted to witness. Many of the religions of California Indians were altered by the introduction of the ghost dance from Nevada. In 18 70 a few of the

older native beliefs were retained, others were modified or discarded. An outgrowth of the ghost dance was the Bole Maru cult. Much of the ritual of the Bole Maru was found in special dances which various cult leaders recurrently dreamed with minor variations, ceremonial dress was elaborate both

in the aboriginal religions and in the ghost dance. In the new cult applica cloth costumes with shell ornaments were substituted for skirts of bark, shredded Tuli or girdles of leaves formerly worn by men and women. In former times, the dances were held in a simple brush

enclosure. This enclosure was later replaced by the semi subterranean dance house with a tunnel entrance and still later by an above ground structure today. Only a few of the Central California tribes possess or use the dance house. The Southwestern Pomo occasionally build a brush enclosure for

dancers. During the summer months, it consists of a framework covered with branches. The construction of the enclosure is a community undertaking with everyone participating except new fathers, menstruating women and men who have encountered them. It has a short ceremonial pole and fire pit seems likely that

the pole developed from an earlier taller pole with feathered streamers around which the older Kuku religion centered the southwestern Pomo begin their dances with a preliminary ceremony outside the dance area. How is it going down? The women's costumes consist of long dresses, buckskin headbands and necklaces

of clamshell beads. The scarf each carries substitutes for sprays of leaves or the toy whisks. They formerly use the men dress in feather skirts, shell necklaces, flicker headbands and have a pair of forked plumes in their hairnet. Each dancer holds a double reed whistle and carries

a split stick rattle. They have dream designs painted on their chests and arms. The two singers carry bamboo clapper rattles. These were formerly made of Elderberry. They wear necklaces of magnesite and clamshell beads. After a short dance, they walked slowly toward the dance enclosure. During this

procession, they sing a special song four times. They also pause four times along the way. Today. The dances of the Pomo Indians are a blend of their ancient religion and Bole Maru together with more modern beliefs. Bye. Oh, hello.

No, I, oh, uh, you, I hope. Yeah. Mhm. The first dance is called Toto and is considered a major dance. Mm. Yeah. All people said that Kaha or crow flew to all our pomo groups and left with each of them. Some of his feathers

told the old people to use his feathers for making the dance skirts. When Kaha finally reached us, he had only one feather left and that was in his tail. He gave us his last feather and told the old people to make a dance skirt. Our old

people also said the slow even movement of the head and shoulders represent the same motion of a large gear as he looks about with a heavy and full set of ants. OK. Hello, you, you. No. Yeah. Our old people used to say the quick movements of

the dancers who represent those of a bird as it looks about what? Bye. Yeah. Our dances have certain rules that we have to follow. Before the beginning of each dance, the men circle and then on a call from the head singer who we call cop or

the rock. They begin to dance. At the end of each dance, the dancers turn around and face the pole. They wait there for another dance to begin. How are you? You, how are you at? Oh oh You here

the song that Pete Atta or the rattler makes signal us that another song or dance is going to start. He, hey, many times we add short dance to Toto. In one of the short dances we do blow the whistle. Oh, listen, listen. Who? Oh,

hello? Yeah. Mhm. Ok. Oh, another short dance has a slow movement, whistles and the dancers raises each foot knee high. Mhm. Oh, ok. Who have? Oh, yeah. Oh. Um,

the whistle are blown during a third short. The foot is only raised a little and the steps are short. Oh, um, thanks. Oh. Uh, just as in the beginning of the dance, the sound of the Pete

or the rattler tells us that the song or dance is finished. Take a risk. The second dance is called La Hua. It is also considered a major dance though the minor dance, Josia may accompany it as in Toto. The men are the main participants. However, four

women begin the dance by sitting in front of the pool on cloth mats, applica with dream designs. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well. Mhm. Yeah. The women are singing the chorus along with the singers. Long ago. This was one of the many ways our women learned how to

sing. Each of our dances has its own set of songs. Some, we sing only at night, others only in the morning. How are you? And yeah, we go, yeah. Hold, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Half for you, man. Who a

Yeah. Get it and take on How are you? Yeah, up side there has certain features which distinguish it from other dances. After two short dances between the pole and fire, one by one, the men dancers circle the fire, each followed by a woman. Each

foot is stamped twice. Yeah. Hello, bye. A sick person or his relatives would put on the lea dance to help that person get well or on the return of his help they might put on the dance to give thanks. Hope.

Oh, well, I know well, for you. Do you pay any more? You? Oh. Oh, right. Hi. Come, sometimes relatives of the dancers threw beads at them to show their appreciation and to recognize them as good dancers. For me.

He is, he is, he is for me, for me, for me, for me my head. That oh, ok. No. Come out, come out. Yeah. The singers usually end the dances in Lee. Each man stops his part of the dance by

running to the pole and giving a special call. Who is, who is? Oh, hey, hey, hey, he can take a long or as short a time as he wants to go around the fire. Hey, he usually tries to trick them with the wrong call to try

to stop the dance. Yeah. If the singer stops, everybody laughs at them and say who you go on. So, hey, you know, come on, come on. Hey, hang on, you go, you know, the dancers can choose any time to run up to the

singers and call to them, you know, you know. Oh and uh of right, my, the singers have to stay awake and listen for the right call. Then they can stop the dance. The characteristic feature of the big head dance is the large headdress, a

modified version of a headdress worn in Aboriginal times. These big heads assume an almost human quality because they are thought of as being dancers themselves. The movements of the real dancers merely provide the medium through which the headdresses dance and putting on the headdress. The dancers

perform a special ceremony behind the pool. OK. Oh, of all our dances still perform. The big hit is our most sacred. Thank. But uh, yeah. Right. Hey. Hey, hey, Dreamer, I control the form and pattern of the big head through my dreams among my people. It

is the dreamer who chooses the dancers among my people. Every true prophet or dreamer must have a big head and put on the big head done. This represents the beginning of the prophets. Oo Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh.

Oh, we are. Hey. OK. Our old people used to say that the slow movement of the dancers were like those of a great deer. Hey. Oh, you

know. Hi. The dancers swing their shoulders and arm around and move their heads when the chose is sung, you know, uh You Oh Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Ok. Oh, hey. Hey, hey. Oh

I think, mm. Our old people said that the quick movements were like the fast and graceful flight of, or hummingbird. Oh, I, hey. Yeah. What? Oh. Uh, I, ok. Yes. Yeah. Uh, hi. Hi, one. Ok. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh. Uh, I, I, I hear you. Oh. Oh, right. You buy my new a ceremony. We call, if Klau finishes up the big dead dance it takes place around the pole. Here's another blow. Oh, Gorgeous. The ball

dance is one of the characteristic features of the Bole Maru. Unlike most dances, it has no aboriginal counterpart. The balls used by the Southwestern pomo are made of rags covered with cloth bearing dream designs. The form and costumes of the dance vary from tribe to tribe,

both men and women participate equally. Mm O oh Yeah. Yeah. Mm To us, the designs on the balls represent the keys which the dreamers and prophets used to interpret their visions and dreams. Mhm On

a call from the head singer, the balls are tossed between the man and woman. Oh my God. I know. Oh Then they throw are OK. Mhm Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Oh 00 Fuck that I

can take back. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. What what o Right. Right. Mm We also end the ball dance with the ceremony a low but here it takes place behind the pole. The ball dance is performed

following sunrise and concludes all the dancing by dancing. California Indians celebrated many occasions. The arrival of spring with its flowers and first fruits. The coming of the first salmon up the streams, the harvest, the initiation of a new member into a secret society or into adulthood.

The curing of a sick patient or even a simple community gathering. Uh. Know what? Yeah. Oh. Oh.