360 THE ZUNl INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



A nephew of Nai'uchi, elder brother Bow priest, after unloading- all 

 but two of his animals and depositing Father Corn and Mother Corn on 

 a heap of salt in the living room of his house, drove the two remaining 

 burros with the packs to the home of the elder brother Bow priest. 

 The daughter of the house spread a large piece of canvas on the floor 

 of the spacious living room, and the salt-gatherer deposited the salt 

 upon the canvas without ceremony. The two ears of corn, which were 

 removed from a sack before the salt was emptied, were laid upon 

 a slab of salt cr^^stnls that was placed at the southwest corner of the 

 canvas. In a short time the daughter of the house formed the salt 

 into an oval mound, made a depression lengthwise on the top, and placed 

 the salt slab and the ears of corn in the center. An old ear of yellow 

 corn, A'wan ^sita (Great Mother), was deposited south of the slab; two 

 others, Awan ho'ta (Great Grandmother), and an charli (the child), 

 were placed north of it, all the tips of the ears pointing to the east. 

 The daughter of the house covered the corn and a portion of the salt 

 with a woman's woven wrap, but removed it for a time while they all 

 stood around and prayed. A blind grandson of Nai'uchi was led for- 

 ward, and his hand was directed to the pra^'cr-meal basket, from which 

 all present sprinkled the sacred objects with meal. After the morning 

 repast all infants of the families in the houses where salt had been 

 brought were carried to the salt heaps, where the mothers spat 

 upon their limbs and rubbed them with the salt, in order that the 

 children might be strong, and adults rubbed the salt over their own 

 hands; then the salt was again covered. The head of each salt- 

 gatherer was afterward washed in 3'ucca suds, and then the entire 

 body was bathed by a female member of his family. The salt was 

 later packed away in jars and the ears of corn were placed with the 

 stacked corn in the storage room. 



A very pleasing scene is the appearance in Zuni of Ma'lokat'si, who 

 is sister to the Sun Father, in company with Ko'hakwa (white-shell 

 bead), Mother of the Sun," whose home is in the great waters of the 

 West, and the Sun with his two heralds, the Morning and the Evening 

 stars. The home of Ko'hakwa is the house to which the Sun journeys 

 each day to rest at night. The mask of Ma'lokiit'si, or Mawe, is of hide, 

 covering the head. Formerly- much difficult}- was found in making 

 the salt adhere to the mask; finally native cotton was placed over the 

 hide; on this was spread a paste made of wheat flour boiled in water, 

 over which the salt cr} stals were scattered, and the mask was set near 

 the fire until the crystals combined with the paste. The face is white, 

 with a red spot on each side over the cheeks. An ear of corn which 

 has been covered in clay from the salt lake is attached upright to the 



« It should not be inferred from this expression that the Sun was supposed to have been born of 

 Ko'hakwc. 



