Pl. LIU. Katcina Initiation Sand Mosaic (Small). 



This sand mosaic is always drawn at the southeast corner of the larger one 

 (see previous plate), as maybe seen on PI. LIV". It represents the Sipa/>u,t.he 

 opening in the earth, somewhere in the Grand Canon, from which the human 

 family is said to have emerged. The four lines or squares represent the four 

 world quarters: the yellow north, the green west, the red south, the white east. 

 The terraced figure on each of the four sides is one of the typical Hopi cloud 

 symbols, but in this case is said by the chief priest to represent the blossoms of 

 the Sipapu. (Houses are also said to have imaginary blossoms and roots.) 



The yellow line, running from the center of the Sipapu, is the way of life 

 which the Hopi are supposed to have traveled when coming from the Sipapu and 

 going towards the rising sun, and which every Hopi is still supposed to travel 

 through life ; the four blue marks represent the foot tracks of the traveler, the 

 four crooks the four stages of life, the longest childhood, the next youth, then 

 manhood and the shortest one old age when, as the Hopi say, man grows small 

 again and walks by the aid of a stick in a stooping position. 



The objects on the four sides of the picture are corn ears and celts. 



