Shuswap Songs & Dances: Shuswap Cultural Series Book 7

Drums were used at dances and as an accompaniment to singing. They were circular and exactly like those of the Thompson tribe. They were very seldom painted or decorated in any way. Fawn's hoofs were sometimes attached all around the rim. Certain kinds of ceremonial dress and ornaments were used when giving dances and potlatches. Each group had a distinct song and dance. Most dances were performed in the winter-time only, but some could take place at any season. The only masks remembered are one representing a beaver and another representing a corpse. Rattles made of wood and bark enclosing pebbles were commonly used in dances.