254. BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 184 
On the fourth evening (the night before the dance), the medicine 
society holds a ceremony in the house where the masks are being 
prepared. They make a sand painting, erect their altar, and lay out 
their paraphernalia. The ceremony consists of singing, smoking, 
mixing medicines and water in the ceremonial bowl, and sprinkling 
the dancers, masks, altar, and paraphernalia. Prayersticks, to be 
given to the dancers on the following day, are made. After the cere- 
mony, altar and paraphernalia are cleared away. ‘The dancers sleep 
in this house. 
Early the next morning, the dancers paint themselves and don their 
masks and costumes. Masewi comes to conduct them to the plaza; 
followed by a member of the society in charge of the dance—who, 
incidentally, may be a woman—Masewi leads the dancers to the plaza. 
(See fig. 37.) The dancers carry corn, bread, fruit, and melons; they 
may also have a few katsina o-wak (‘baby,’ i.e., kachina dolls). The 
dancers line up facing the officers who will be seated on the west 
(another informant said north) side of the plaza. They lay their food 
offerings down and begin to dance. Masewi stands at the head of 
the line during the first dance. When this is over, Tiamunyi and the 
other officers arise, go to the dancers, and sprinkle them with prayer 
meal. Tiamunyi ‘‘accepts’’ the society that has charge of the dance, 
and makes a formal speech ‘‘about how the katsina have come to 
Sia.’’ The head of the society then tells the dancers, in a loud voice, 
what Tiamunyi has said. Then the dancers distribute their gifts to 
the people, almost invariably to their close relatives. Small children 
tha Caceeveecaae Tree 
mmmmmmnm 
OTe, Te, Ti Te MGGG 
Ficure 37.—Diagram of a masked Katsina dance. C=katsina; L=leader; M= 
merinako; Ti=Tiamunyi; Tc}, Tca, Tc3=tcraikatsi; M=Masewi; O=Oyoyewi; G= 
Gowatcanyi. 
