I have been told that there is an old custom among the Micmacs, still
remembered by many now alive, which is probably a remnant of a
ceremony with which was connected an old dance. To this custom is
given the name of the "Trade Dance," for reasons which will appear.
The account of the custom was given by Peter Selmore, who witnessed it
not many years ago. It is said to be more common among the Micmacs
than among the Passamaquoddies.
The participants, one or more in number, go to the wigwam of another
person, and when near the entrance sing a song. The leader then
enters, and, dancing about, sings at the same time a continuation of
the song he sang at the door of the hut. He then points out some
object in the room which he wants to buy, and offers a price for it.
The owner is obliged to sell the object pointed out, or to barter
something of equal value. The narrator remembers that the dress of the
participants was similar to that of the Indians of olden times. He
remembers, in the case of women, that they wore the variegated,
pointed cap covered with beads, the loose robe, and leggings. The face
of the participant was painted, or daubed black with paint or powder.
This song is recorded on cylinder 17.
The singer told me, and I can well believe it, that the song is very
ancient. I have little doubt that in this ceremony we have a survival
of dances of the olden times, when they assumed a significance now
either wholly lost or greatly modified.
It is not without probability that the songs sung as ancient songs may
have modern strains in them, but as a general thing I think we can say
that they are authentic. I do not think I draw on my imagination when
I say that one can detect a general character in them which recalls
that of Western Indians. In order to experiment on this, I submitted
the records to a person who had heard the songs of the Plain Indians,
and who did not know whether the song which she heard from the
phonograph was to be Indian or English. She immediately told me
correctly in all cases which was the Indian, although she had never
before heard the Passamaquoddy songs.
The folk stories of the Passamaquoddies are but little known to the
young boys and girls of the tribe. It is mostly from the old and
middle-aged persons that these stories can be obtained. I was told by
one of these story-tellers that it was customary, when he was a boy,
for the squaws to reward them for collecting wood or other duties with
stories. A circle gathered about the fire after work, and listened for
hours to these ancient stories, fragments no doubt of an ancient
mythology, upon which possibly had been grafted new incidents derived
by the Indians from their intercourse with the various Europeans with
whom they had been brought in contact.