Dec. igoi. The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony — Voth. 97 



While the Katcinas are getting ready, the Powamu priest pre- 

 pares a crook about thirty-five inches long, to the upper end of which 

 he fastens a cotton string, to the lower end of which an eagle breath 

 feather is tied. About midway on the crook a corn ear and eight corn 

 husk packets {mociatd) containing honey and corn-meal are tied to 

 the stick. From each of the latter is suspended a nakwakwosi. The 

 Katcina priest and his assistant in the meanwhile prepare three bahos 

 to be given to the three Katcinas after the ceremony. Another man 

 ties together four lengths of several yucca leaves, tying a hawk feather 

 to each of the four knots. The use of this ring or wheel {ngolla) will 

 be explained later on. On one occasion I noticed that at this time 

 some one brought a bunch of yucca leaves, about twenty-four inches 

 long, from which a number of whips or switches were made, to be 

 used later on by the Ho Katcinas for flogging the children. These 

 whips are simply six to eight leaves which are tied together. The 

 Powamu chief sends a young man with a small netted gourd (mong- 

 wikuru) to a spring for water and then gets ready for the ceremony. 

 He makes a line of white dots along the front part of his legs, com- 

 mencing at his big toe, and along the inner side of his arms, beginning 

 at the point of the thumbs, running up to the shoulders and then 

 down to the nipples. Lastly he makes a white mark under the left 

 eye and runs a light-blue line from each nipple to a level with the 

 umbilicus. He then folds up a white ceremonial blanket {owd) and 

 puts it on as seen on PI. LVH. 



Meanwhile the Katcina priest and his assistant have also put on 

 their ceremonial costume which consists of the usual Katcina sash and 

 kilt. By way of ornament many strands of beads are placed around 

 the neck. 



When all are ready the three men who are to act as Katcinas 

 retire to a secluded spot outside of the village, carrying their costumes 

 in their blankets, and there dress up and wait until they are to appear 

 and take part in the ceremony in the Marau kiva. 



While these preparations have been going on in the Honani kiva 

 those in the Marau kiva have also been completed. The sand mosaic 

 has been prepared, and in the southeast corner of the kiva an enclosure 

 has been made of blankets as a place of concealment for the four 

 Koyemsi Katcinas. When all is ready the leaders of the ceremony 

 begin to come in; first Shokhungyoma and Lomankwaima; the first in 

 his capacity as chief or owner of the houses in the village {kikmongwi), 

 the latter as crier {chaakntongwi) whose duty it is to announce the 

 various religious ceremonies before they take place. Both have a so- 

 called chief's staff {mongkohd), which is their badge of office (see PI. 



