White] THE PUEBLO OF SIA, NEW MEXICO 161 
given the signal to come get the fruit, melons, and vegetables on the 
ground. They run for them and a lively scramble ensues. 
The head of the Snake society now presents the new member to 
tiamunyi. “If you ever need a Snake tcaiyanyi,” he tells him, 
‘you may call upon this man.”’ Tiamunyi responds by exhorting the 
new member to do his work well, not to tire or shirk his duties, 
and so on. 
Then the head of the Snake society calls all of the males present 
who are 6 years old or over to come up and offer prayers to the snakes. 
Two of the Snake tcaiyanyi are standing there holding the snakes in 
their hands. The men and boys come up and address prayers to the 
snakes, asking them for long life, good crops, etc. “Anyone who 
wants to and who is brave enough”? comes up and smears a little 
yakatca and stcamuna on the snakes’ heads or bodies. When this is 
over, the head of the society dismisses everyone and they return to 
the pueblo. Two medicinemen, the first and second ones in rank 
after nawai, take the snakes in the two ceremonial bowls out into the 
country and turn them loose. These bowls formerly were kept in a 
carefully concealed niche in an arroyo bank, as described by Mrs. 
Stevenson (1894, p. 90). In about 1934 they were found and stolen 
by trappers who took them to Santa Fe and sold them to a museum. 
The members of the Snake society retrieved them, however, and they 
MMMM N MMM 
———_— 
IITt Tit i 
CANDIDATE | ton uste 
SITS HERE 
CORNSTALK | 6 
HOUSE 
==—_—_>f\ 
Figure 16.—Initiation into Snake society. M=medicinemen; N=nawai, the head of 
the society; [=iarikos on meal painting. 
