288 TUSAYAN KATCINAS (eth asv 15 



February 5 — At earliest dawn (5 a. m.) either the chief or oue of b;.s 

 elders roused all the sleepers rii the kiva, and each spread his blanket 

 be.side his basin of growing; plants. He then earefull.\- plucked the 

 plants, one l).v one, so as not to bruise either stalk or roots, lie laid 

 them on the blanket iii an orderly pile, the leaves together. The sand 

 which remained in the basin was carried to some i)lace where children 

 would not see it, and the vessels were dried before the kiva fire and 

 hidden away in the iionses out of sight of the prying eyes of the 

 young ones. 



^'early all the plants were tied with a yucca shred and a sprig of 

 spruce (symbol of a Katcina), iu neat bundles, leaving loose bights 

 of the yucca by which to hold them. Each priest also tied up the dolls 

 which he had made. All traces of the soil iu which the corn had been 

 forced to sprout had disapjieared long before dawn. 



The presents (dolls) which were made in the Tcivatoki were then dis- 

 tributed by a man personifying Pawikkatciua, under the instruction 

 ot those who had fashioneU them. The distributing Ivatcinas of the 

 Nacabki were two Niiviiktcinas,' and the same did this duty with the 

 dolls in the MoDkiva. For the Alkiva two Tcoshlihiiwuh performed 

 this duty. These Katcinas and two persons called Kawaika (Keres) 

 from Sitconiovi bustled about the pueblo on their erraiKls and the dis- 

 tribution was finished about sunrise. The men did not speak when 

 they approached a house with their gifts, but hooted after the cus- 

 tomary manner of Katcinas. 



Almost half an hour before sunrise the Soybkmana passed around 

 the kivas, holding a dialogue at the hatchways with the chiefs inside. 

 She wore a bhwk conical mask with red mouth and white teeth, and 

 was costumed as an old woman. In the right hand she bore a crook 

 7 feet long, at the end of which were tied many shells. In the left hand 

 she carried a. knife smeared with rabbit blood. Hii'hiiwiih also held 

 a dialogue with the kiva chiefs and made gifts of watermelons and 

 squashes to various persons. 



At 11.30 a. m. Soybkmana, Hahaiwiiqti, and the Natilckas (plate cvi) 

 made a visit to all the houses. They were followed by two Heheaka- 

 tciuas^ with bags and pouches of food recently received, and after them 

 followed three black and two white Natackas. These five went together 

 and w-ere constantly in motion, moving or beating time with their feet. 



The strange company went to ea«h house demanding food, and when 

 it was refused or poor quality offered the NatAckas uttered a hoot like 

 an owl, and at the same time Soy('ikinana whistled. They refused to 

 leave a liouse until proper food had been given them, and if a child who 

 had not been ceremonially flogged appeared with the mother its eyes 

 were shaded by the mother's hand while she presented food to the 

 ><'atackas. 



> Elision of the syllable ka in this and similar compounds is common. 



^Tlie symbolism of their masks and their dance is described iu the .Tournal of American Ethnology 

 and Archicoloj;y, vol. ii. No. 1. 



