44 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. XL 



a nakwa, consisting of two small sparrow hawk feathers tied together 

 at the quill end, which I think is made by the chief priest Wickwaya. 

 All make some prayer offerings which are placed into a tray, some sacred 

 meal put on them, a small quantity of corn-pollen sprinkled into the 

 centre of the tray by Wickwaya and some meal by his sister, the chief 

 priestess. Wickwaya takes a shell rattle, hands to his sister and her 

 assistant a gourd rattle and some meal and, after a brief silence, utters 

 a short prayer. All then sing two songs over the tray, whereupon he 

 again says a prayer and all sprinkle meal on the tray. Navini, the 

 assistant, hands him a lighted pipe from which he smokes over the 

 tray, whereupon he spurts some honey on the tray, handing the pipe 

 to Navini. The latter then also smokes, but near the fireplace; when 

 he is through he takes a pinch of honey into his mouth and also spurts 

 it on the prayer offerings. The chief priest then hands the nakwa- 

 kwosis to four women who deposit them, with a little meal, on the north, 

 west, south and east sides of a quarter to a half mile from the village. 

 Upon their return to the kiva they are greeted with thanks by all 

 present. On one occasion I noticed at this juncture, that the women, 

 who return last from this errand, and one other, who has in the mean- 

 time come into the kiva, stroked and massaged the back and limbs of 

 Wickwaya, his sister and her assistant. This is done several times 

 during the nine ceremonial days. 



The chief priestess and her assistant now sit down on folded blankets 

 in the north-west corner of the kiva where they, as well as the chief 

 priest, usually sit silently throughout the nine days, when not engaged 

 in ceremonial duties. 



While other women are coming in and the assistant priest occupies 

 his time with such work as carding and spinning cotton for prayer 

 offerings, smoking, etc., the chief priest puts up the altar. On one 

 occasion he observed the following order in putting up the different 

 parts: i, the sand-ridge; 2, a pinch of meal on the ridge at the five 

 places where the five slabs are to be inserted; 3, inserting of a slab 

 near the centre, then the one on the west end of the ridge, then the one 

 on the east end and finally the one between the last named and the 

 centre slab; 4, inserting of the zigzag and last of the small sticks; 5, 

 the two crooks; 6, meal all over the ridge; 7, a thin layer of fine sand 

 in front of the ridge; and the black cloud symbol on it; 8, the two large 

 idols, then the two smaller ones; 9, the small cloud and frog and blossom 

 symbols on each side of the ridge; 10, the medicine bowl corn-ears, 

 etc., around it. A few other details, for instance the inserting of the 

 green bahos in the sand-ridge, were not noted down. The baho with 

 the long string, (road), he made and placed on the altar after the 



