STEVENSON] RETIREMENT OF KO'yEMSHI 275 



upon the cloth. The lirst dancers to appeur in the pUizu are tlie 

 Wa'tem'hi (all herds; see plate i.xix), who come from the newly 

 dedicated liouse which faces the east. 



Among the gods in this group are the u'wannanii (rain-makers; see 

 plate Lxx)," Na'tilshku^ (see plate lxxi a), and Na'wisho (possessor of 

 many deer; see plate Lxxib,c), also called O'lolowishkia. This god is 

 supposed to sweeten bread b}^ micturating upon the meal (""His urine 

 is sweet like honey'"). The penis is represented by a gourd with 

 white llufi'y eagle plumes attached pendent. During the dance of the 

 Wa'tem'la the Ko'mosona approaches the O'lolowishkia and most rev- 

 erently prays while he sprinkles the mask and artificial pcMiis with 

 sacred meal. 



The Mu'luktakia are among the most attractive of the gods who 

 appear. They wear white embroidered kilts held on by sashes tied at 

 the right side, fox skins are pendent at the l^ack, sleigh bells are fast- 

 ened to the blue yarn which is wrapped around the legs below the 

 knees, strings of black and white corn hang over the right shoulder, 

 and they wear elaborate necklaces of ko'hakwa, tunpioi.se, and coral, 

 each necklace having an abalone shell pendent at the back. Each car- 

 ries in the left hand a slender staff ornamented with plumes and spruce 

 twigs, and in the right a gourd rattle (see plate lxxii). Plate lxxiii 

 shows mask of Mu'luktakia. The He'mishiikwe follow the Mu'luktakia 

 to the plaza. Their dress is similar, but their masks are altogether 

 different. All the He'mishiikwe masks are alike, but the tal)lets which 

 surmount them are different, not so elaborate usually as one shown in 

 plate Lxxiv. The disk on the front of the tablet denotes the sun; the 

 small figures on each side symbolize squash blossoms. The varicol- 

 ored geometrical figures represent corn of different colors. The rain- 

 bow is represented on the back of the tablet. Plate lxxv shows masks 

 of a god and goddesses accompanying the He'mishiikwe. 



The plaza is constantly changing in aspect. It is a kaleidoscope for 

 hours, the lines of dancers varying from one to six, and when the full 

 number are present in their picturesque costumes and the house toi)s 

 are crowded with gaily attired spectators the scene is most brilliant. 

 Each party of dancers brings ears of corn to the plaza, which are 

 collected by the A'shiwanni, who are present at times in the plaza, and 

 carried into the ki'wi*sine. The Kia'kwemosi, his associate, and the 



aThe bear's claws on the mask symbolize the footpniits of the bear in the soft earth, indieating 

 the desire of the A'shiwi (Znnis) for the earth to be well watered that the feet of all animals maysink 

 into it— another expression to indicate the desire of these people for the fruetitication of the earth. 

 The zigzag each side of the face of the mask denotes the lightning shooting from the house of (he 

 clouds of the north, yellow symbolizing the north and the black and white blocks the hotise of the 

 clouds. The blue-green shown each side of the back of the mask indicates the house of the cloud.s 

 of the west, this color symbolizing the west. Eagle down on the top of the mask represents clouds. 

 The dragon flies on the back are suggestive of rain. 



hNa'tiishku, the Zufiis assert, was adopted from the Hopi Indians, and a sketch secured by Dr .1. W. 

 Fewkes shows that the Uopi have the identical mask. 



