322 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



are g-athered, provided a Bow priest i.s present to start the racers, l)ut 

 it is usual for the men to gather at Zuni for the race. The observances 

 previous to the race of the elans are much the same as those for the 

 race of the ki'wi*siwe. A member of each clan makes the stick to be 

 used b}' the racers of his clan and he is free to select that of either 

 one of the Gods of War. The runners dress as on the previous occa- 

 sion, and their hair is done up in the same manner. The clan symbol 

 is painted on the breast of each runner, and that of the paternal clan 

 is painted on the back. Those of the Pi'chikwe (Dogwood) clan have 

 a conventional design of dogwood, including the roots, on the breast, 

 and below a macaw or a raven with the head pointing to the left, 

 according to the division of the clan to which the man belongs." The 

 gaming stick is also decorated with the totem. 



The Bow priest makes a line south of the village b}^ drawing or 

 pushing his foot over the earth, as has been described, and the runners 

 stand on the line, facing the south, members of each clan being together 

 and the runner at the west end jof each clan group placing the stick 

 across his foot, as before noted. The Bow priest stands in advance 

 of the runners, and facing east, prays and throws the meal four times 

 eastward, the fourth throw, as l)efore, l^eing the signal for starting. 

 The same course is followed as that pursued by the people of the 

 ki'wi'siwe. Each of these races cov^ers about 4 miles. 



No thought of betting is in the Zufii mind when these races for rain 

 occur, yet deep interest is exhibited b}' the women as well as bv the 

 men in the purel}' religious races, but the real enthusiasm occurs al 

 the time of the betting races, when about 25 miles are covered. 



Wiien a man wishes to become tleet of foot for the race or to be 

 sure of the winning side of a race, he calls upon the rain priest of the 

 west or south (he ma}" not consult any of the others) and requests to 

 be instructed what to do to insure success in the races. The rain 

 priest tells him to meet him the following night at the house where 

 his et'tone'' is kept. When the man arrives at the place of meeting, 

 the rain priest with his associate priests and their families are gath- 

 ered, the priests sitting about a cloud symbol embellished with fetishes, 

 the most sacred of which is the et'tone, and offerings from the women 

 who are present (see plate xxxiv). The rain priest rises to meet the 

 man, who hands him four ears of corn tied together. The whole night 

 is spent in offering song prayers to the u'wannami (rain-makers), and at 

 sunrise the rain priest gives the man a te'likinane (praver plume) half 

 the length of the middle finger measured on the under side. The stick 



"The writer adopted Cushing's translation of Pi'cliikwe, "macaw," until a more familiar acquaint- 

 ance with the Zuili tongue led her to discover that the word comes from pi'chiko, dogwood; kwe, 

 plural ending denoting a people or body of people. This clan has two subdivisions, the macaw and 

 the raven (see p. 40). 



fcSee A'shiwanni (Rain priesthood). 



