212 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



ceremonies. A few members of the priesthood sit in the south end, 

 busying- themselves making moccasins, shirts, etc. Later the A'pi^la- 

 shiwanni gather in a semicircular group on the east side of the room 

 toward the north end, the A'kwamosi of the Ant fraternity, with flow- 

 ing white locks, sitting just south of the group. Another old man, 

 holding the ceremonial cigarette-lighter, a staff charred atone end, sits 

 back of the choir on a quaint chair of Zuni manufacture. The tirst 

 body of A'shiwanni, excepting the Shi'wano'*kia and the Kia'kwemosi 

 (Shiwanni of the North), who remains in the house of the Shi'wano''kia 

 during the day, stand in line at the north end of the room, on the east 

 side, and members of the Ant fraternity stand on their right. An 

 Apache basket, ornamented with cloud designs and arrow points woven 

 into the dark straw, and containing feather wands, having each a 

 streamer of red and green ribbons, radiating from the center of the 

 basket, is deposited on the floor on the west side at the north end of 

 the room. A second basket is placed near by, containing a small 

 leather pouch of arrow points and two bunches of reed cigarettes filled 

 with native tobacco, the reeds being colored red and wrapped with 

 corn husks. On the floor are two bowls of medicine water, portions 

 of several hawks' breasts, and a (quantity of kaolin, red pigment, and a 

 small jar of bear's grease. 



When the choir has its complement of members, the song begins, 

 each member holding and brandishing in time with the song a pistol, 

 bayonet, or war club. The song embraces a long histor}^ of the val- 

 orous deeds of the Gods of War and of their people of old, down to 

 the times when their fathers fought the hated Navahos, the invaders 

 of their homes, recapitulating the instructions given by the Gods of 

 War to go out to battle with brave hearts, the routes they must follow, 

 and the means the}^ must adopt in order to master the enemy. The 

 gestures accompanying this portion of the song are specially graceful 

 and pleasing. 



When the song is begun, the elder brother Bow priest and three 

 other members of the Bow priesthood take their positions on the 

 west side of the room, and are prepared by four members of the 

 Ant fraternity for the outdoor ceremony. The hair is separated 

 into strands and rolled on burs, forming knots, half the size of a 

 pigeon's egg^ all over the head. The cotton shirts and trousers are 

 not removed, and moccasins and leggings are worn. The war pouch, 

 suspended across the shoulder, completes the dress. The face is given 

 an application of bear's grease and red and black pigment. A paste of 

 kaolin is applied to the chin, upper lip, tip of the nose, and eyebrows, 

 and forms a circle on the top of the head, and hawk down, symbolic 

 of the clouds of the world, is applied to the paste. The A'kwamosi 



