"The women join us in the Crane Dance, dressed in their most gaudy attire and decor- ated with feathers. The Crane Dance often lasts two or three days. At this feast the young men select the women they wish to have for wives. Each then informs his mother, who calls on the mother of the girl, when the necessary arrangements are made and the time appointed for him to come.
"He goes to the lodge when all are asleep, or pretend to be, and with his flint and steel strikes a light and soon finds where his intended sleeps. He then awakens her, holds the light close to his face that she may know him, after which he places the light close to her.
"If she blows it out the ceremony is ended and he appears in the lodge next morning as one of the family.
"If she does not blow out the light, but leaves it burning he retires from the lodge. The next day he places himself in plain view and plays his flute. The young women go out one by one to see who he is playing for. The tune changes to let them know that he is not playing for them.
"When his intended makes her appearance at the door, he continues his courting tune until she returns to the lodge. He then quits playing and makes another trial at night, which usually turns out favorably.
"When the Crane dance is over, we feast again and have our NATIONAL DANCE. The large square in the village is swept and prepared for the purpose. The chiefs and old warriors take seats on mats which have been spread on the upper end of the square. Next come the drummers and singers.
"The braves and women form the sides, leaving a large space in the middle.
"The drums beat and the singing commences. A warrior enters the square, keeping time with the music. He shows the manner he started on a war party; how he approached the enemy; he strikes, and shows how he killed him. All join in the applause, and he then leaves the square and another takes his place.
"Such of our young men as have not been out in war parties and killed an enemy stand back ashamed, not being allowed to enter the square. I remember that I was ashamed to look where our young men stood, before I could take my stand in the ring as a warrior.
"This national dance makes our warriors. When I was traveling last summer on a steamboat on the river going from New York to Albany, I was shown the place where the Americans dance the war dance (West Point); where the old warriors recount to their young men what they have done, to stimulate them to go and do likewise. This surprised me, as I did not think the whites understood our way of making braves." (Autobiography, pp. 64-66.)