156 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 184 
Kapina society performs weather control ceremonies for both sum- 
mer and winter. They have two masks of Hililiho katsina. They also 
have a device described as a wooden frame made of a number of slen- 
der sticks painted yellow and tied together with cotton string. Steven- 
son (1894, p. 40) described this device also and said that it belonged 
to the Kapina society. Both Stevenson and my informant described 
it as an umbrellalike device; it opens and closes like one. Stevenson 
called it NApakatsa; my informant called it Dyu’onyi (this is the 
ceremonial name of a water bowl of a medicine society; see, e.g., 
fig. 46 in White, 1942 a, where a medicine bowl on the Koshairi altar 
at Santa Ana is called wa-tyuonyi). My informant said that only the 
head of the Kapina society had enough skill to use this device prop- 
erly; as he dances with it, it opens and closes and assumes a variety 
of forms. ‘He works magic with it; it brings magic and prosperity 
to the people.”” My notes do not specify the circumstances, or the 
occasion, of its use. I do not know of the presence of this object in 
any other pueblo. 
The Kapina and Snake societies are very closely associated with 
each other, and have been for a long time. Stevenson (1894, pp. 76, 
78) reports that one man was the head of both societies in 1890, and 
that they worked together in a rain ceremonial. In 1957, the head 
of Kapina was also the head of the Snake society. They shared a 
ceremonial house and ‘‘go in’”’ together for the summer (wet) and win- 
ter (dry) ceremonies. Informants often say “the Kapina and Snake 
societies always work together.” This is unquestionably true as a 
rule, but the two societies are not identical and equivalent in all 
respects. For example, Kapina but not Snake medicinemen are do- 
wahi tcaiyanyi, i.e., are able magically to produce corn or rain in a 
kiva ceremony. On the other hand, the Snake society has functions 
with regard to snakes which Kapina does not have. Kapina assists 
the Fire society in its sword-swallowing ritual whereas Snake does not. 
Kapina has charge of the Hahawo dance. And there may be other 
differences. 
In 1957 there were only three full-fledged male members; there 
may have been some males pledged, but not yet initiated, at this 
time; my notes are not specific on this point. There were three or 
four female members. 
Kapina medicinemen of Sia “‘used to go to Acoma to assist the 
Kapinas there in their ceremonies.” 
SNAKE SOCIETY 
The Snake society is one of the most interesting, although not the 
most important, of societies at Sia because it performs a ceremony 
in which live snakes are handled. Snake medicinemen are not full- 
