The various tribes in the vicinity of Yosemite Valley are
accustomed to hold a great meeting or festival once a year, each
tribe taking its turn as hosts, and the others sometimes coming
from considerable distances. At these meetings there are dances
and other ceremonials, and also a grand feast, for which
extensive preparations are made. Another feature of the occasion
is the presentation of gifts to the visiting tribes, consisting
of money, blankets, clothing, baskets, bead-work, or other
valuable articles. These presents, or their equivalent, no matter
how small they may be, are always returned to the givers at the
next annual festival, together with additional gifts, which, in
turn, must be given back the following year, and so on.
At these gatherings an Indian is appointed to secure and keep on
hand a good supply of wood for the camp fires, and every day he
spreads a blanket on the ground and sits on it, and the other
Indians throw money, clothing, or other contributions, into the
blanket, to pay him and his assistants for their services. At
other times this man acts as a messenger or news carrier--first
spreading his blanket to collect his fees, and then starting off
on his mission.