INTRODUCTION. 



Soyalunwu, a winter solstice ceremony, is observed in the six Hopi 

 villages of Oraibi, Shumopovi, Shipaulovi, Mishongnovi, Walpi and 

 Hano. Observations have been published on the observance of the 

 Walpi and Hano performances by Dr. J. Walter Fewkes.* As may 

 be noted, there is a wide range of variation between the presentations 

 of the ceremony at the East and at the West mesas. 



The Oraibi Soyal celebration is in charge of the Shoshyaltu (the 

 Soyal fraternity), the largest religious organization in that and prob- 

 ably in any other Hopi village.! In the presentation of 1899 and 

 1900, however, not all the members of this order participated in the 

 performance, for reasons which it is necessary should be described at 

 some length. During the year 1891 representatives of the Indian 

 Department made strenuous efforts to secure pupils for the govern- 

 ment school located at Keam's Canon, about forty miles from Oraibi. 

 This effort on the part of the government was bitterly resented by a 

 certain faction of the people of Oraibi, who seceded from Loliilomai, 

 the village chief, and soon after began to recognize Lomahunyoma as 

 leader. The basis of Lomahunyoma's claim to the chieftainship, while 

 somewhat obscure, seems to be the fact that he is the lineal descend- 

 ant of Kohkatncuhti (Spider Woman), the legendary patron of the 

 Kohkamiamu (Spider-clan), said to be one of the oldest in Oraibi. 



The feeling on the part of this faction against the party under 

 Loliilomai was further intensified by the friendly attitude the Liberals 

 took toward other undertakings of the government, such as allot- 

 ment of land in severalty, the building of dwelling houses at the foot 

 of the mesa, the gratuitous distribution of American clothing, agri- 

 cultural implements, etc. The division thus created manifested itself 

 not only in the every-day life of the people, but also in their religious 

 ceremonies. Inasmuch as the altars and their accessories are the chief 

 elements in these ceremonies, they soon became the special object of 



*The Winter Solstice Ceremony at Walpi, American Anthropologrist, September, 1898; The 

 Winter Solstice Altars at Hano Pueblo, American Anthropologist, April, 1899. 



t Every Hopi man or boy is at one time or other initiated into one of the following four fra- 

 ternities: Agave {Kwan). Horn iAhl), Singers {Tataokani) or H^(7w<7<:///'w/m (meaning obscure); 

 by this membership he becomes a member of the Soyal fraternity. He can belong to any two of 

 the above named-four fraternities, but his initiation into one of them is an absolute condition for his 

 membership in the Soyal Society. To other societies, such as the Snake, Flute. Marau, etc., even 

 to more than one he may belong, whether be is a member of one of those four fraternities or not. 



