54 Field Museum of Natural History — Anth., Vol. XI. 



In the middle of the afternoon 1 the ten leaders again arrange them- 

 selves around the altar in the usual manner. No. 8 strews the meal 

 line from the altar to the ladder and then the usual singing ceremony- 

 takes place in the same way as on previous occasions. But during the 

 fifteenth song an entirely new scene is presented. As there were some 

 variations in the different years I give my notes of 1895 and 1897 

 separately: 



1895: This over, all stood up; No. 10 put on a white dress (owa) 

 and a fine blanket (toihi), whitened her face with meal, tied a pota (tray 

 from the Second Mesa) that had nakwakwosis fastened to its rim, to 

 each wrist, and then danced very gracefully around the altar four 

 times, stopping at each cardinal point and waving the potas towards 

 it. All sang and those having rattles shook them as usual, while this 

 was going on. When this was over, all said, thanks, and resumed their 

 places. 



1897: A woman, dressed in a toihi, big knotted belt, moccasins 

 with leggings, her face daubed white, jumped up behind the altar. 

 She had two old trays with corn-meal and danced around the altar 

 six times, rather vigorously, swinging the trays (from side to side) 

 and then stopped behind the altar, where one of the women assisted 

 her in taking off the costume, etc. All cried, thanks! 



In each of these two cases the ceremony then went on and terminated 

 in the usual way. Most of the women then go after food for the even- 

 ing meal. The chief priestess takes a large bowl, containing some 

 piki and cooked beans, and places it on the elevated portion of the 

 kiva west of the ladder; at the east side of this bowl she places a tray 

 with meal and the tray with the nakwakwosis prepared by the women 

 in the forenoon for their departed friends and relatives. She then 

 assumes a kneeling position south of the bowl, her assistant north and 

 Wick way a south-west of it. The latter has a mosilili in his hand. 

 The other women now begin to return to the kiva with the various 

 dishes of food for the evening meal. Every woman steps to the priest- 

 esses who take a small quantity of every kind of food, even of the liquids, 

 and put it into the large bowl, whereupon the woman places her vessel 

 with the food on the floor in the deeper portion of the kiva. Here 

 the different bowls and trays are arranged in two rows, around which 

 the women seat themselves as they come in. When all have made 

 their contribution of food, they all rise and standing around the food 

 board begin to sing, waving their arms, and Wickwaya shaking the 

 mosilili to the time of the singing. Some have their corn-ear in their 

 hand, others have not. During the singing the two priestesses kneel 



1 The time has varied in the different years between 3 -.30 and 5 o'clock. 



