Dec. 1901. The Oraibi Powamu Ceremony — Voth. 125 



the ground, called batni (well or cistern), which belongs to the Bow 

 clan and into which one of the Bow people deposits a baho 

 and some sacred meal very early on the eighth day of the Po- 

 wamu ceremony. Around this batni the procession moved four 

 times from right to left, the trays being placed on the ground for 

 a few minutes on the north, west, south and east sides, and 

 also being carried occasionally by the Tucauv Katcinas, as I 

 understand it. The trays are set down — planted — as a prayer that 

 those things in them might grow abundantly. They then proceed to 

 the Honani kiva which is located only a few steps to the northeast. 

 They walked around the kiva also four times. During the fourth 

 round the manas handed the trays to the Tusauv Katcinas, and then 

 all the leaders or momngwitu (chiefs) and the Tusauv Katcinas with 

 their manas arranged themselves around the kiva. The pipe-lighter 

 and the Powamu chief priest emerged from the kiva, the first with a 

 reed cigarette and a lighted fuse of cedar bark, the latter with the 

 medicine bowl and aspergill. The first smoked on the back of the 

 leaders and Katcinas, the latter sprinkled them with water. 



Hereupon the chaakmongwi (crier) shouted that all should cover 

 up or otherwise hide their children (/. e. those who had not yet been 

 initiated). As soon as this was done all the Katcinas took off their 

 masks, certain men from each kiva took the trays from the manas and 

 the hoapus from the Katcinas and carried them with their contents to 

 the houses of the respective manas. The latter, as well as all the 

 Katcinas, went to their respective kivas where they disrobed, the 

 manas going to their houses, where they distributed the beans {Jiaru) 

 to their friends, who took them home to use as one of the dishes 

 in the feast that followed. The herbs and pine saplings were also 

 distributed and placed, as is usually the case, on the corn piles or put 

 away otherwise in the different houses. 



