440 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



Others of the party to drive the deer to the chaparral and down it to 

 an opening-. As soon as a deer discovers a clear spot with only a pole 

 to obstruct his flight he jumps, only to find himself caught in a trap. 

 If the fall does not kill the deer, one or more men smother it by press- 

 ing the nostrils, at the same time offering the following prayer to 

 A'wonawil'ona:'^' 



Lu'kia yii'tonne yam *Kiash'ima yam to'shonane yam 



Xhis day your rains, your seeds, your 



O'naya'nakia ho'o a'nichiyanap'tu 



Mystery medicine I inhale the sacred breath of life. 



Free translation: This day I give you my thanks for your rains, 

 your seeds, and the mysteries of life which I inhale. 



When a deer or an antelope is brought from the hunt, the hunter is 

 announced by some of the villagers, whereupon the matron of the 

 home of the hunter advances to meet hinj, carrying a basket of sacred 

 meal, some of which she sprinkles upon the game, and as she returns 

 she throws a line of meal before her, the hunter following immediately 

 behind. After entering the house the hunter places the game tempo- 

 rarily on a sheepskin until the arrival of those who are to participate 

 in the ceremonial. They comprise the members of the household, 

 the order of the 'San'iakiakwe, and the members of the Coyote 

 clan. Another sheepskin is laid on the floor, to which the game is 

 transferred, with the head of the animal toward the east near a small 

 circular hole, symbolic of the entrance to the undermost world, in 

 the stone floor in which prayer plumes to the te'nas'sali (mythical 

 medicine plant), which is eaten by the game, are buried. 



Prayer plumes can only be oflered when the members of the house- 

 hold belong either to the *San'iakiakwe fraternity or to the Coyote clan. 

 When the oilerings are to be deposited, those which have been previ- 

 ously buried in the cavity are removed in order to make room for the 

 new ones and are cast into the river to be carried to Ko'thluwala'wa 

 (abiding place of the Council of the Gods). After the plumes are 

 deposited the hole is plastered over — another illustration of the man- 

 ner of concealing sacred objects in cavities in dwellings. The *San'- 

 iakiakwe possess the blossoms and the roots of the te'nas^sali because 

 it is good medicine for game. 



One of the most attractive dances in Zuiii has been adopted from the Hopi 

 Indians, the masks for which represent the heads of different game animals, from 

 the elk to the hare. The leader of the dances personates Le'lentu, the Hopi god of 

 music, butterflies, and flowers, who bears a tray or bowl containing a flowering plant 

 of the te'nas'siili. Nothing could seem more Chinese than the paper blossoms on 

 this artificial plant. When it is set down in the plaza the dancers gather around to 

 eat the flowers. The animal-like and graceful movements of the men personating 

 the game present a beautiful picture (see plate cv). These dancers appear at inter- 

 vals during the day, and the scenes close with a man shooting a little cottontail, 

 which appears to give great grief to the other animals. 



a See classiflcation of higher powers. 



