274 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



mi'li and two eagle-wing plumes, precede the Ko'yemshi in iile to 

 the Si'aa' te'wita, led b}^ a woman of the f raternit}^ carrying her mi'li 

 and meal basket. The Ko'yemshi are wrapped in heavy blankets, 

 and wear moccasins. Each has a large roll of canvas on his back and 

 carries te'likinawe, including those given to the male head of each 

 house dedicated at the coming of the Sha'lako, except the te'likinane 

 of the male head of the house visited by the Council of the Gods. 

 This one was carried by the personator of Sa'yatiisha to his home 

 and is afterward planted by him. Each has also a fawn skin filled 

 with seeds, to be distributed to those in the ki'wi^sine. They pass 

 four times around in a circle, when the Kia'kwemosi, who awaits 

 them in the plaza, forms a cross of meal (s3^mbolic of the four regions) 

 on the ground at the west side of the plaza, and the Great Father 

 Ko'yemshi standing east of the cross the Kia'kwemosi places a hand 

 on each shoulder, motions him to the four regions, and then seats him 

 on the cross. The forming of the cross is repeated as man}^ times as 

 there are Ko'3^emshi to be seated. The other Ko'yemshi are in line 

 on the north side of the plaza; all of them except the Great Father 

 are to be seen in the illustration (plate lxvi). 



The members of the Little Fire fraternity stand in an irregular line 

 during the seating of the Ko'yemshi. The Kia'kwemosi, returning to 

 the Great Father Ko'yemshi, draws a line of meal upward over the 

 mask and prays, repeating the same with each Ko'yemshi; and the 

 members of the fraternity, with a prayer, sprinkle each mask with 

 meal, and leave the plaza. The Ko'yemshi now rise, leaving their 

 rolls of canvas in place on the ground, and group themselves by the 

 man who is at this time completing an excavation in the ledge in front 

 of the ki'wi^sine. When he retires, each Ko'yemshi stands his te'lik- 

 inawe in the opening. They remove them late in the night, and still 

 later plant them in an excavation west of the village. This excavation 

 is as deep as from the breast to the feet of the man who makes it. 



The Kia'kwemosi comes from his ceremonial chamber and, sprinkling 

 meal upon the Ko'3'emshi, throws a line of meal up the ladder and 

 leads the Great Father and the other Ko'yemshi into the chamber. The 

 canvas packs are left in the plaza (see plate lxvii). Men and women 

 soon begin to crowd the plaza, bearing offerings to the retiring 

 Ko'yemshi (see plate lXviii). The first donations are made by women, 

 who bring baskets of corn and wheat flour and light bread. White 

 chalk lines across the blanket wraps show that they are fresh from the 

 weavers' hands. A Zuiii woman is as eager to exhibit the line on her 

 blanket as a civilized woman is to display the marking on her India 

 shawl. Later men come to the plaza with dressed sheep, watermelons, 

 and other food. 



At half past 11 the Ko'yemshi descend to the Si'aa' te'wita and, 

 unrolling their canvases, deposit bread which they have received 



