No.^^ir' ^^^' ^^^'^ ^'^ CHANGING WOMAN — BASSO 159 



Apaches believe that whatever wish is made while blessing the girl is 

 certain to come true. "She has pov/er to do that." In phase VII, 

 the girl's power — Changing Woman's power — becomes a means by 

 which anyone may attain his own personal ends. It functions in as 

 many ways as there are individual wishes. A few of these are recorded 

 below. 



to have a good crop of corn and beans. 



to make my sick wife get better. 



my cattle, to get fat for sale time. 



to cure up my daughter's face. [In reference to a severe case of acne.] 



rain. 



my son in Dallas learning to be a barber, not get into any trouble. 



VIII. GIHX IL KE 



('blankets, she throws them off') 



Phase VIII begins shortly after the end of phase VII. It usually 

 is made up of four songs (sometimes six), three of which are danced 

 in place by na ihl esn and the pubescent girl. During the final song, 

 the girl steps off the buckskin, picks it up with both hands, shakes it, 

 and then throws it 3 or 4 feet towards the east. Following this, she 

 throws a blanket in each of the three other cardinal directions, to 

 the south, then to the west, and finally to the north. 



She does this for two reasons. She throws the blanket so she can always have 

 blankets, plenty of them, in her camp when she gets old. She shakes them out, 

 like if they had dust in them, so her blankets and camp will always be clean. 

 The buckskin she throws so there will always be deermeat in her camp, and 

 good hunting for everyone. 



Phase VIII concludes na ih es. Immediately after the last song, 

 the girl and na ihl esn retire to their wickiups. The medicine man 

 and his drummers leave the dance area in search of shade and a drink. 

 When most of the crowd has dispersed, two or three men from the 

 girl's camp gather up the buckskin, blankets, baskets, and tarpaulin 

 and carry them away. Presently, the girl's relatives will complete 

 nil sla ih ka by bringing food to na ihl esn's camp. 



FOUR "HOLY" DAYS 



Throughout most of na ih es, the girl's power is used to benefit herself. 

 However, immediately after the ceremony, it becomes available to 

 anyone. It is not incorrect, though perhaps an oversimplification, 

 to say that during the 4 days which follow na ih es the girl's power is 

 public property. 



At this time she is considered holy and continues to live at the 

 dance ground with her family. She is not obliged to stay there all 



