Nov , 1903. Oraibi Summer Snake Ceremony — Voth. 315 



In the Snake kiva the same condition of affairs exists as on the 

 previous day. The kiva is deserted, only one man usually being left 

 in charge of the kiva. Soon after breakfast the men get ready for the 

 Snake hunt and leave at the usual time.' If there be any newly ini- 

 tiated members they participate in the hunt, and are supposed to cap- 

 ture their first snake. I was told that the hunters do not confine 

 themselves to any particular direction on this day. They return in 

 time for the evening ceremony in the Antelope kiva. After having 

 indulged in their usual smoke around the fireplace they renew their 

 body decoration, which, however, they sometimes do somewhat hastily, 

 and then repair to the Antelope kiva in the usual manner, where the 

 same ceremony as that which has already been described, takes place. 



SEVENTH CEREMONIAL DAY. 



(PI'KTOTOKA; PlKl— PROVIDING DAY.) 



Unfortunately, the proceedings of the forenoon of this day have 

 been observed in 1898 only, and hence my notes on the first part of 

 this day are somewhat incomplete. The following is based on these 

 notes: 



Early in the morning the usual singing ceremony took place in 

 the Antelope kiva. This was followed by a short rest, smoking, chat- 

 ting, and then by the morning meal and another period of rest and 

 smoking in both kivas. In the Snake kiva some also carded cotton, 

 made and repaired moccasins, and other paraphernalia used in the 

 ceremony. Macangontiwa made ten so-called piitsvahos (flat bahos), 

 in which he was assisted by two or three of the other men. These 

 bdhos consist of a small slab made of cottonwood root about seven 

 inches long, two inches wide, and a quarter of an inch thick at the 

 edges, one-half an inch thick in the middle. They are first painted 

 white, and then one half green, the other yellow, both sides of the 

 slab being painted alike. The two colors are separated by a black 

 line, which runs along the middle of the baho, and which is marked 

 with several, usually three, white, elongated dots. Into each end of 

 the slab is thrust a small eagle feather. On each edge, about ^n inch 

 from each end, are two notches about half an inch apart. 



At about eleven o'clock all the snakes were transferred without 

 any special ceremony from the small bucksjcin bags to a large Ameri- 

 can sack and placed on the floor near the altar. The small racer that 



' .\s has already been noted, very little hunting was done on the fifth day in 1896, and 1 was 

 told that very little hunting for snakes was done on any day alter the first four days if a sufficient 

 number of snakes were found on these last named days. 



