The ceremonial chamber is also of distinctive character in the three
culture areas. In the Central region it is a large, circular,
dome-shaped structure, partly underground and with a covering of earth.
It serves also as place of assembly and at least at times as sudatory,
whence its popular name of sweat-house. In the Northwest the
sweat-house is quite small, almost entirely underground, and its roof
consists of boards without a covering of earth. It is constantly used
for sweating and is the regular sleeping place of all adult males. It
is not used for public ceremonies except in the case of the dance
initiating shamans. In the South the ceremonial structure is not a
house, but either a mere enclosure of brush, as among the Mission
tribes, or a simple shade of brush on upright posts, as among the
Mohave. This type of ceremonial structure is also found in the southern
part of the Central region among the Yokuts.
In the matter of dancing apparel the Northwest differs fundamentally
from all the remainder of the state. Some of the most important of the
regalia, such as long obsidian knives and albino deerskins, are not
worn on the body or used ritually but merely carried for display, being
primarily objects of great value. Large forehead-bands entirely covered
with brilliant red woodpecker feathers more nearly resemble ordinary
dancing apparel, but are also articles of value, the unmounted
woodpecker feathers virtually constituting one form of currency. Other
objects used in dancing are dresses, cloaks, and head-bands of skin and
fur, head-dresses of network, and carefully ornamented plumes and head
feathers. All these, while worn on the body, and decorative, also
possess considerable commercial value. The drum is not used, the
whistle employed at times, and the rattle, which consists of deer
hoofs, but sparingly.
In the Central region objects made of feathers greatly predominate over
all others, and are mostly made to be worn actually on the body.
Head-dresses are particularly conspicuous and of many forms. In the
Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and the adjacent region cloaks of
large feathers attached to a network are worn. In the Tulare basin
these are replaced by skirts consisting of strings of eagle-down. With
these down-skirts are worn large upright head-dresses of crow and
magpie feathers. This combination of costume was used also by the
Mission Indians in Southern California and by the Washo of Nevada, and
at least the head-dress is found as far north as the Sacramento valley.
Network caps filled with down, and forehead bands of down, are frequent
in various parts. Perhaps the most typical single object of ceremonial
apparel is a flat band, usually worn on the forehead, and consisting of
the trimmed red quills of the yellow-hammer sewed side by side. This
head-band occurs through the whole of Central California and is used
also by the tribes east of the Sierra Nevada, in the state of Nevada,
and south of Tehachapi pass in Southern California. The large foot drum
of the Central region has already been mentioned. Whistles are also
used and there are two forms of rattle, one consisting of silk cocoons
containing gravel, the other of a split stick. The cocoon rattle is
usually associated with the shaman, the clap-stick with dancing.
In the South, especially among the Mission Indians, the dancing
apparel, as is evident from the instances already mentioned, is of much
the same type as in the Central area. On the Colorado river feather
ornaments of the same general character are used, though they are of a
simpler type and head-dresses predominate. The whistle is but little
used in the South, the drum occasionally, baskets and other objects
being chiefly employed for this purpose. The rattle is the
all-important musical instrument in this region. It is made most
frequently from a gourd or a turtle-shell.