White] THE PUEBLO OF SIA, NEW MEXICO Za 
really have priestly functions, but virtually everything in the way of 
custom and social regulation is set within a matrix of supernatural- 
ism: custom is sacred, and it is the duty of everyone, officer and com- 
mon person alike, to see that it is followed. One gets the impression 
from informants that the medicinemen are more likely to take it upon 
themselves to see that custom is followed than are other nonofficers 
of the pueblo. 
The governmental functions of the officers have been set forth in 
our chapter on officers. I might, however, review them briefly here. 
The cacique is too sacred to concern himself directly and actively in 
pueblo affairs; it is the War chiefs who do this. The governor’s office 
has two dimensions: intra- and extra-pueblo. On the one hand it is 
his duty to maintain “Jaw and order’’ within the pueblo and to see 
that certain communal tasks are performed, such as maintaining the 
irrigation system. On the other, he has charge of the pueblo’s re- 
lations with the outside world: with the Indian Agency, the Public 
Health Service, and non-Sias generally, especially Anglo- and Spanish- 
Americans. Fiscale has charge of matters pertaining to the Catholic 
religion, although it is said that he can “‘try some cases like the gover- 
nor,’’ e.g., adultery. 
THE PUEBLO COUNCIL 
The Pueblo Council is one of the most important agencies for the 
transaction of governmental business in Sia. It is composed of all 
adult males; women are not admitted (one informant stated that once, 
in 1935 when the Wheeler-Howard bill was being discussed, women 
were allowed to attend). One informant observed that in some 
neighboring pueblos all men were not admitted to the council because 
they were too numerous to assemble under one roof and that this 
caused some dissatisfaction among those not included. But in Sia, he 
said, all adult males are members and this makes for a more demo- 
cratic conduct of pueblo affairs. 
Meetings of the council are summoned by the War chief, the gov- 
ernor, or fiscale mayor. Or, anyone may request one of these three 
officers to call a council meeting to consider some problem or issue; 
the officer so requested will use his discretion in such a case. Meet- 
ings called by the War chief have to do with “troubles connected with 
hunting, or with anything pertaining to the Indian religion or cere- 
monies.”” The governor would call meetings to consider domestic 
and secular issues, such as quarreling, theft, trouble with outsiders, 
i.e., non-Sias. Fiscale mayor may summon meetings much as the 
governor would. Any of the three officers cited above could call a 
council meeting to deal with irrigation problems. 
