STEVENSON] WINTER DANCES OF KOR'kOKSHI 147 



of each of the other ki'wi'^siwe. After prayers they go to the ki'wi'sine 

 furnishing the Kor'kokshi, and, passing around in an ellipse, form in 

 single file, facing north, and dance. In a short time the one who is 

 to personate a Sha'liiko, and who carries the kia'etchine, advances to 

 the wor'we and elderly men and hands the kia'etchine and a reed 

 cigarette to the chief wor'li. He holds both hands of the giver of the 

 cigarette, who stoops before him and pra3's. At the close of the 

 prayer the god returns to the line of dancers. 



The kia'etchiwe (plural of kia'etchine) are kept in the homes of those 

 who receive them, the chief wor'li selecting men for this purpose, 

 until after the morning meal, when each man deposits his in a place 

 associated with the region of his ki'wi'sine. They are deposited as fol- 

 lows: The one from the ki'wi*sine furnishing the Kor'kokshi deposits 

 the kia'etchine at a spring associated with the region of his ki'wi'sine; 

 the next kia'etchine is deposited in an arro3"o or a small canyon; the 

 next, in a cornfield of the region with which the ki'wi*sine is associated; 

 the next, on the road running west from the village; another, at a 

 still greater distance on the western road; the last, in the bed of the 

 river some miles west of the village. 



These dancers, who may be masked or not according to the choice 

 of the director, the exception being the Ko'yemshi who must invari- 

 abl}^ wear their masks, ** continue around to the other ki'wi'siwe, giving 

 one reed cigarette to each wor'li of a ki'wi*sine. 



After each bod}^ of dancers has made a tour of the ki'wi'siwe, they 

 spend the remainder of the night dancing in their own. As soon as 

 the visiting dancers leave a ki'wi'sine, a wor'li passes around among 

 the people carr3ing the sack of seeds and gives a haudfid to those 

 present, including women and children. The seeds are carried home 

 and planted the coming season with those given by the Ko'loowisi, 

 apart from the other seeds. A draft of medicine water is adminis- 

 tered by the director of the fraternity to all unmasked dancers and 

 others who may be in the ki'wi'sino during the ceremonies. He 

 sprinkles the masks, dipping two eagle plumes into the water. All 

 dancers are sprinkled with meal at the close of each dance. ' 



Each ki'wi'sine is supposed to follow in regular succession in pre- 

 senting the Kor'kokshi, l)ut this does notalwaN-s happen; for instance, 

 if a head wor'li of the ki'wi'sine is engaged with his fraternity, the 

 dance of hiski'wi'sine is delayed until he is free, and it not infrequently 

 happens that some other ki'wi'sine takes the place of the one which 

 would come in regular order. 



While the Kor'kokshi dances are classed among the most sacred 

 observances, for the rain -makers themselves are not onl}- personated 



"The masks of the Ko'yemshi are frequently worn by others than the real Ko'yemshi, and in such 

 cases they must be returned to the keeper ol these masks at the close of the dances, no matter 

 what the hour may be. 



