84 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. III. 

 6. THE POWAMU PERFORMANCES IN THE KIVAS. 



First Day. 



At about sunrise the chief Powamu and the chief Katcina priest 

 enter the Honani kiva, the first bringing with him the Powamu naist, 

 six ceremonial corn ears, a box with feathers, some corn-meal, etc. 

 The natsi consists of four sticks about twenty inches long and about 

 one-half inch thick, to each of which four small eagle nakwakwosis are 

 fastened at different places, and three to four small eagle feathers to 

 the upper end of the stick. One of the sticks is put into the grass mat 

 that is lying on the kiva hatchway at the south end of this opening 

 and a little corn-meal sprinkled around it. The other sticks and the 

 other paraphernalia that the priest brings with him he places on the 

 floor in the north end of the kiva. Usually the kiva is then swept 

 and the two priests sit down near the fireplace, eat their breakfast 

 and smoke awhile. The rest of the day is usually spent by them in 

 getting wood for use in the kiva or in some work of a private nature. 

 Even Siima, though old and feeble and notwithstanding the fact that 

 it was cold, had to get a large part of the firewood himself. I have 

 observed the same thing on other occasions where it seemed that 

 reverence for the priest, if not respect for old age, would induce the 

 younger members of the society to get the necessary firewood. When 

 I asked the priests why they did not let or make the younger men get 

 the wood, they usually replied : ^^Ka nawakna'' (They won't do it). 

 Especially is this the case when only a few men participate in the 

 ceremony. 



Second Day, (The People's First Day.*) 



Early in the morning the Powamu priest, after having put up the 

 natsi 2X the Honani kiva and smoked awhile, goes into every kiva where 

 beans are being planted, sits down at the fireplace, smokes a little 

 while, offers a prayer or blessing with corn-meal over the beans and 

 then, before leaving the kiva, announces that in seven days the women 

 and girls will prepare food, that during the following night their (the 

 Hopi's) friends, the Powamu Katcinas, will ''iiamu tihtaptotani'''' 

 (watch or observe us) — which refers here to the dance of the Powamu 

 Katcinas during the night of the eighth ceremonial day — and that on 



*A peculiar custom prevails in Oraibi in connection with the numbering of the days o( the 

 Powamu ceremony, inasmuch as that the summu (people) of the village have their own way of 

 reckoning in which they are one day behind that of the numeration of the Powamu fraternity, and 

 as both call their second Azy first day, their third day second day, the matter is very confusing. 

 The following table will make the matter clear: 



