STEVENSON] Bl'^'^Sl'^SI WITH THE MO'lAWE 277 



over the wool-bag game played 1)}^ the Ko'yemshi and Ne'wekwe 

 during the absence of the dancers, who retire from the plaza after 

 each dance. When the dancers return for the last time to the plaza 

 thev are laden with cooked sweet corn, rabbits, and sliced watermelon, 

 the ears of corn tied together with yucca string braided in fancj^ shape 

 and hung ov^er their shoulders. 



Bl"'8I*Sl" WITH THE MO'LAWE, FRUIT AND SEED BEAKERS '' 



About half an hour after noon, while the plaza is alive with 

 dancers, Bi"'^si'si comes alone from the eastern covered way. He 

 wears a gray-and-white-striped blanlcet and has a strip of rab])it skin 

 tied around his throat and hanging in front. A line of white paint 

 runs across his nose and under his e^-es. Another line crosses the 

 lower part of his face, passing over his lips. These lines, about three- 

 fourths of an inch wide, extend entirely across his face. His arms 

 have several bands of white above the wrist and one around the upper 

 arm. White fluffy eagle plumes are attached at the bauds ])x means of 

 a thread around the arm. His hair is done up in a long knot extend- 

 ing out beyond the forehead, to which corn-husk ril)])ons are attached. 

 Bunches of the same are on both sides of the head. He wears ordinary 

 moccasins and carries two eagle-wing feathers. His Ne'wekwe baton 

 is stuck in his belt at the back, the large blanket he wears being bolted 

 in. With great dignity he crosses the plaza with even strides. His 

 presence does not interrupt the dancing in the plaza. He ascends 

 the ladder and enters the ki'wi\sine to announce the arrival of the 

 mo'lawe^ at Ku'shilowa (red earth). The first body of A'shiwanni, 

 the Ko'mosona, Ko'pckwin, two Ko'pi"lashiwanni, the ceremonial 

 father of Bi'^si'si, and others, are gathered in the ki'wi'sine to 

 receive him. Live coals are on the fire altar, and a cloud symbol of 

 meal is on the floor in the west end of the room. A number of 

 mi'wachi (plural of mi'li) extend along the west side of the meal 

 painting. A bowl of medicine water stands by the painting. The 

 medicine water has been consecrated by the Ko'mosona, who deposits 

 six a'thlashi concretion fetishes sacred to the holds, in the bowl and 

 forms a cross and circle on the Avater with a powder made from a root 

 gi-ound by his wife. A line of meal extends from the cloud symbol 

 to the ladder. 



aBi"'sl»si was the original director of tlie Ne'wekwe (Galaxy) fraternity (see p. 408). 



^Soe RediscovcTV of the Com maidens and recreation of corn. 



cTosp-AK the women the long exposure to the cold, the mo'lawc are, on the occasion described, 

 personated bv men from the six ki'wi'siwc, who arc supposed to be young, although such is not 

 alwavs the case, the chief worli of eacli ki'wi'sinO making the selection. Eacli worh is supposed 

 to supply four mo'lawe, but on tlie occasion described there are but fifteen; on another occwon 

 observed by the writer there were twenty-three. An equal number of women are chosen by a man 

 of the Ai'vah.vkwe (a plant) clan, whose olli.'e is for life. At his death the clan gather together 

 and the parent, or elder, of the clan selects a successor. The present representative is an albino. 



