138 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 184 
these two societies always go together; they resemble each other in 
many respects; they are distinguished from societies such as Flint, 
Giant, and Fire in mythology, costume, and functions; and (4) med- 
icine, or curing, societies, such as Flint, Giant, and Fire. This 
classification fits our Sia data very well in general, but there are 
some exceptions and some discrepancies. In the first place, I do 
not quite know where to place, or how to characterize, the Katsina- 
Gomaiyawic societies. Secondly, there are discrepancies such as 
the fact that the Koshairi, but not Kwiraina, society has some of the 
characteristics of the curing societies. 
In each of the Keresan pueblos there is a kind of society that treats 
illness. These societies have wooden slat altars, corn-ear fetishes, 
make sand paintings on the floor, and wear bear leg skins during 
curing rituals. These societies—the Flint, Cikame, Fire, and Giant, 
for example—have been called medicine, or curing, societies by 
ethnographers for years, even though they have functions other 
than curing. 
But at Sia the Koshairi society is said to have an iariko (corn- 
ear fetish) and to do ‘‘some curing,” although it does not have a 
wooden slat altar and has no bear paws. Gomatyawic does not have 
the wooden altar, corn-ear fetish, or bear paws, yet it is said to do 
some curing at Sia. The Katsina and Kwiraina societies have none 
of the distinguishing characteristics of a medicine society as listed 
above and do no curing at all. 
Another concept is relevant here, namely, that of ho-nawai aiti. 
I have discussed it at length with a good informant, but feel that I 
have not comprehended it fully. I have not encountered this term at 
any other Keresan pueblo.!® Also, I have been unable to translate 
it, in whole or in part, into English. It will be noted that it resem- 
bles nawai, the word used at Santa Ana and at Santo Domingo to 
designate the head of a secret society; in fact, nawai seems to be the 
principal part of honawai’aiti. But my informant declared that 
the two words are unrelated. Stevenson (1894, p. 69) uses H6-na-ai-te 
to designate the head of a ‘‘cult”’ society. 
The term honawai’aiti seems definitely to pertain to the magical 
curing function of societies. But there are degrees of ‘“honawai’aiti- 
ness,” so to speak. Some societies are designated as being ‘‘full- 
honawai’aiti,”’ others as half, or part; and others as none at all. This 
is the first time I have found this concept of degrees among the 
Keres, although Stevenson (ibid., p. 74) long ago observed that ‘most 
of the [Sia] societies are divided into two or more orders.” “A full- 
16 Since this was written I have learned that it is present at Santa Ana where it is said to be an important 
idea, although I learned nothing further about it there. It would seem probable that this concept is at 
least known to all the eastern Keres. 
