No.'^TOr' ^^^' ^^^^ ^^ CHANGING WOMAN — BASSO 157 



farther away from the bucksldn, thereby increasing the distance the 

 giii has to run. In song II, the cane is about 35 feet from the buck- 

 skin; in song III, about 50 feet; and in song IV, 65 feet. 



Each of the four "runs" in phase IV symbolizes a stage of life 

 through which the pubescent girl has passed, or hopes to pass in the 

 future. The first and shortest is chUdhood. The second represents 

 young womanhood. The third run symbolizes adulthood and the 

 fourth, which is the longest, is old age. Apaches beHeve that as soon 

 as the girl circles the cane, she "owns" the stage of life it stands for. 

 Thus, after completing the final run, the girl has symbolically passed 

 through all the stages of life and is assured of living until she is very 

 old. This is the gift of Changing Woman, and the essence of na ih es. 

 If the gu'l trips and falls while making one of the four "runs" she is 

 required to return to the buckskin and repeat the entire sequence. 

 Such a mishap is not viewed with alarm, nor is it interpreted as 

 symbolic of early death. 



For the girl, that is the most important part. That is where she prays for long 

 life. She has the power to make herself very old when she runs around the cane 

 that way. Each time she runs around the cane that way she mil live to be that 

 age. That way, after she makes the last time — when it is far away — she will live 

 until a very old lady. 



She goes through her life running around that cane. Changing Woman did that 

 one time and it made her very old. The girl has her power to grow up to a long 

 age. 



V. 



The structure of phase V ^^ does not differ greatly from that of phase 

 IV, and its alleged function is similar to phase III. Before the first 

 four songs, the cane is placed in a hole about 20 feet east of the buck- 

 skin. When the singing begins, the pubescent girl and na ihl esn run 

 to the cane and circle it, just as they did in phase IV. For the second 

 song, the cane is placed south of the buckskin. Again, the girl runs 

 around it, followed by na ihl esn. During song III, they run to the 

 west, and in song IV, to the north. 



Whereas phase III is thought to strengthen the pubescent girl's 

 body, phase V supposedly enables her to run fast without feeling 

 fatigue. 



After she runs around the cane in the four ways, she will never get tired and will 

 always be able to run fast. Changing Woman gives her power to the girl and that 

 is why it happens this way. 



She runs in the four ways so she will never get tired. Changing Woman ran 

 fast long time ago, they say. That is why the girl runs so fast around [the cane]. 

 She wants to be like Changing Woman and run good. 



3' In searching my notes, I have been unable to find any information concerning the Apache term used to 

 describe phase V. That it does have a name is certain. That it cannot be recorded here Is due only to my 

 negligence. 



747-014—66 11 



