There are two ways in which a man can join the Medicine Dance. He may simply apply for admission to any of the five leaders, or he may take the place of a deceased relative. In the former case, if his payment is satisfactory, and he has the other qualifications, he is accepted. In the other case, he or his relatives decide to have him take the place of a deceased relative. This latter form of candidacy is by far the commoner. At the present day, initiation requires the payment of about three hundred or four hundred dollars, in the form of goods and tobacco. Of this, a portion is given to the leader of the Ancestor-Host’s Band during the Four Nights’ Preparation, and the rest to the leaders of the other four bands during the ceremony proper. Exactly how much information an individual obtains on entering, cannot be determined. This would depend on the amount of the payment. The minimum of knowledge would be an acquaintance with the bare externals of the ceremony, its general significance, and such knowledge of the legendary origin of the Lodge as a single recital could give. The new member is not initiated into the symbolism of the ritualistic myths, and consequently a large portion of the same must be unintelligible to him. What he obtains is practically only the right to hold the otter-skin bag and to use it in a certain way. He cannot take part in any of the forms of dancing or singing, nor can he even shoot at will. He very rarely remains in this condition long, but takes the first opportunity to purchase additional knowledge and privileges. There are three kinds of members,—mature men, women, and children. The privileges of women differ from those of the men, in that the women do not have to partake of the sweat-bath, may never become assistants, and are privileged to dance in a certain way. In other respects they have equal privileges with men. In practice, there are certain privileges that women never have, but this is due to the fact that either they do not care or they are not in a position to buy them. Children belong to a quite different category. Although they possess an otter-skin, they have not even the power of making it effective, and, in order to do so, must have it guided by some older member. There does not seem to be any evidence indicating that women were ever excluded from membership. II. PRESCRIBED DUTIES OF THE BANDS.—The duties of the host, who is known as x’okera,[2] and whose band is called Minañk‘ara-k‘oñañgire′ra,[3] are as follows: 1. To rehearse the songs and rituals with his band four nights previous to the ceremony proper. At this rehearsal the candidate (haⁿbirok‘aragu′-inera, literally “the one for whom they seek life”) is always present, and instructed in the ceremony. 2. To send out invitation-sticks and tobacco to the leaders of the other four bands. The messengers are always his sisters’ sons. 3. To begin the Four Nights’ Ceremony preceding the ceremony proper.