STEVENSON] 



MINOR CEREMONIES OF THE SHa'laKO 



235 



Two of the rocks are marked with perpendicular lines cut in the rock, 

 one having- twent3'-nine the other twenty-eight lines. It was stated 

 that these lines denote the number of j-ears the late Ko'mosona 

 and Ko'pekwin held office, a statement that requires substantiation. 

 The Ko'yemshi are chosen annually alternately from the fraternities 

 enumerated below. It will be remembered that the Great Father is 

 designated at the winter-solstice ceremonial, he in turn choosing his 

 fellows. The clans given are not those of the men personating the 

 Ko'yemshi, but the clans of their paternal parents. It makes no 

 difference to what claii each man who personates a Ko'yemshi belongs, 

 but his father must be of the clan mentioned. The Ne'wekwe (Galaxy), 

 Sho'wekwe (Arrow reed), *Ko'shi'kwe (Cactus), and Ma'tke *hlan'nakwe 

 (Great lire) fraternities follow annually in regular succession. 



Ku'yemshi Ke'wekwe 



1 A'wan t;l'>chn (great father) Sand hill Crai 



2 Pe'kwin (deputy to great father) Dogwood 



3 Pi"'liishiwanni (warrior) Corn 



4 E'sho'si (bat) Bear 



5 Mu'yiipona (small horns) Eagle 



6 Po'.sokii (small mouth) Sun 



7 Na'thliishi (old grandfather) Badger 



8 It'sepiisha (game-maker) Coyote 



9 'Kia'lu'si (water-drinker) Frog 

 10 Sa'thliishi (old youth) Badger 



The Ko'yemshi appear in the village the night of the day the plumes 

 are planted at A'kohanna ti'nakwi. They are supposed to come from 

 Ko'thluwala'wa,'^ but their starting point is He'patina. a shrine sym- 

 bolic of the Middle of the world, situated a short distance st)uth of 

 Zuni. They cross the river at the southwest corner of the town and 

 announce the coming of the Council of the (rods in four days and of the 

 Sha'liiko in eight days. The village is illuminated not only by fires in 

 the houses, from which each window is aglow, but by the ovens out of 

 doors, the fire tongues issuing through the oven doors. The Ko'yem- 

 shi pass first to the te'wita *hlan'na (large plaza) and stand in a group. 

 Sa'thlashi is the first to speak: '"Eight days everyone mu6t go to the 

 Navaho country and fight." *Kia'lu^si speaks: ''In eight days my 

 people come. You boys must look around for nice girls and stay with 

 them." It'sepjisha speaks next: "To-night these men dragged me from 

 my house, and I am lonesome without ui}'^ wife. When they go to 

 sleep I will run away and return to my wife." Na'thlashi speaks: 

 "To-night this man [referring to the Great Father Ko'yemshiJ picked 

 out nine men; pretty soon they will fight." Na'thlashi says but little. 

 Po'sokii speaks: "In eight days we will have the big dance; then 3'ou 

 will have plent}^ to eat." He continues for a time with obscene jokes. 

 E'sho'si says: "To-night I come; all of you come to see me; all of 



aSince the degeneracy of the Sho'wekwe the aged director of this fraternity selects his nine fel- 

 lows from the people at large. 

 b Abiding place of the Council of the Gods. 



