184 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



and passes the corn three or four times before the lips of the girl, 

 with a prayer that she may inhale the sacred breath of life. The 

 dancers nowpassto the A'wan mo'sono"kia of the Sho'ko'we side, who 

 repeats the passing of the corn before the lips of the *kia'potiikwe and 

 returns it to the basket. The A'wan mosono"kia of the *Hla'hewe side, 

 who is now in her place by the baskets, gives blue corn to the *kia'po- 

 tiikwe, and they are led to the floor b}^ the A'wan mosono"kia of the 

 Sho'ko'we side. She, too, remains only a short time, but returns and 

 stays on the floor dancing until the *kia'potiikwe have returned the 

 blue corn, when she returns to her place and the "^kia'potiikwe leave 

 the chamber. 



The girls who act as *^Hla'he and Sho'ko o'tiikwe gather in an adjoin- 

 ing room and come forward as required, eight at a time, with the 

 ya'pota in the middle of the line. They^ begin to dance as soon as the 

 ^ia'potiikwe have retired. The dancers are attired in their ordinary 

 dress, but are careful to wear their best moccasins and elaborate 

 necklaces. They repeat the performance of the *kTa'potiikwe. They 

 carry first the yellow corn, and afterward the blue corn, receiving 

 the corn and returning it in the manner previously described. They 

 are led to the floor first by the A'wan mo'sono"kia of the ^Hla'hewe 

 side and afterward by the A'w^an mo'sono"kia of the Sho'ko'we 

 side, in the same manner as the *kia'potiikwe. The corn is passed 

 before their lips first by the Shi'wano"kia and afterward b}^ the 

 A'wan mo'sono"kia, as described above. After the first set of girls 

 and the j^outh have danced with the yellow and blue corn, they retire, 

 and another set take their places. The dance continues, except dur- 

 ing the noonday feast, until the arrival of the he'kupowanhak'tona, 

 sho'lipsimonthle'ona, and Ushana'shutt an hour before sunset, w^hen 

 they take the floor. These dances occur on three alternate days in the 

 house of the Shi'wano"kia. 



On the seventh morning the two A'wan a'mosi, with their vicars and 

 men selected b}^ them, construct an extensive ham'pone in the Si'aa' 

 te'wita, sacred dance court, immediately in front of the He'iwa 

 ki'wi*sine (ceremonial house of the Kia'kwe a'mosi), the lower door 

 of the house opening into the west side, or back, of the ham'pone. 

 Heavy poles support the beams and over them is canvas covered with 

 spruce (Pseudotsuga douglassii) boughs, the edge of the roof being 

 fringed with spruce and cedar boughs, and the south wall formed of 

 spruce and a small quantit}^ of cedar. The personators of the A'wan 

 ta"chu (Great Father), the pe'kwin, and the Pi"*lashiwanni (warrior) of 

 the Ko'yemshi'* gather the boughs and place them in position. 



The first body of- A'shiwanni, the A'wan a'mosi with their fel- 

 lows, the mi'laiilapo'na, and the two choirs assemble in the O'he'wa 



a See p. 33. 



