Dec. igoi. The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony —Voth. 93 



with corn-meal by all from the banquette as well as from the elevated 

 portion of the kiva. The men from the spectators' portion again rush 

 after them with a great deal of noise, running to the same place east 

 of the village as before, from where the Chowilawu runs to a place 

 northeast of the village to deposit the prayer offerings, the Katcina 

 priest and the men returning to the kiva. Those on the banquette 

 remain and are singing until the Katcina chief returns. The Powamu 

 priest, who, as stated before, had left the banquette in 1897, had again 

 taken his place at the medicine bowl immediately after the men had 

 left the kiva. When the Katcina chief returns the singing stops, all 

 say "thanks," and he places the na^st stick on the large meal tray on 

 the small altar, divests himself of his kilt, takes his it/>om to the large 

 altar and somewhat later sweeps up the sand mosaic, depositing the 

 sand a few yards south of the kiva.* 



The Powamu chief in the meanwhile replaces the altar paraphernalia 

 from the small to the large altar, and then addresses a short speech to 

 the newly initiated members, the contents of which is essentially as 

 follows: "You have now seen these things here; you are not to 

 reveal them to anybody when you now go home ; even if your own 

 father or mother should ask you, you must not tell them anything ; if 

 they ask you about the Chowilawu, tell them there was no fire in the 

 kiva and you could not see him ; you will, later, sprinkle the Katcinas 

 with corn-meal when they dance ; you will sometimes not eat any salt 

 or salted food ; if you reveal any of these things the Katcinas will 

 punish you." Koyongainiwa then also says a few words, repeating 

 in substance what the Powamu chief has said and then the new mem- 

 bers are taken home. It is now usually about 8 o'clock p. m. The 

 man who has acted the part of Chowilawu returns, carrying the Kat- 

 cina costume under his blanket ; several of the leaders smoke ; many 

 dishes of food are brought in and the leaders partake of a hearty sup- 

 per, after which they soon retire for the night in the kiva. The usual 

 evening ceremony is of course suspended on initiation days. 



Those who have gone through this initiation have in the first 

 place become members of the Powamu fraternity, and as such the boys 

 and men are entitled to be present at the ceremonies and learn all the 

 secrets of that order. They may, furthermore, act as Katcinas and later 

 as fathers {" naamu") of the Katcinas, /. e., as leaders of the Kat- 

 cina dances who lead the Katcinas to the plaza, prompt them in their 

 songs, and, above all, sprinkle them with corn-meal and give them 

 prayer offerings at the dances. The girls, and women, may put up 



•In 1897 this was done by Koyongainiwa, his son Nahutiwa and Lomaashniwa in 1901. 



