STEVENSON] ^HLE'wEKWE 445 



and the webbed handn and fi«et cut. The dots about this figure denote hail, for the 

 director of the 'Hle^wekwe fraternity desired much hail. The straight line extending 

 east and west across the slab indicates the road leading from Hiin^lipinkla to the Salt 

 Mother before she left her home east of I'tiwanna. The cro.ss near the east end of 

 this line and south of it symbolizes the morning star. The group of seven dots 

 denotes Ursa Major; the group of four, the Pleiades. The short heavy line imlicates 

 the road followed l)y the KTa'nakwe on their way to the place where they were 

 found by the A^shiwi. 



The man and wife made themselves so offensive to the fraternity that 

 when they were asleep in one another's arms on their bhinket of 'su'le 

 (a grass) the *Hie'wekwe lifted them in the blanket and tossed them to 

 the far north, where thev remained atid multiplied, liecoming^ giants. 

 These are the Su'ni-a'shiwanni. 



Proceeding eastward, the 'Hle'wekwe drew near to Shi'papolima, 

 home of Po'shaiyanki (Zufii culture hero). The two chief officers of 

 the fraternity conducted them to the presence of Po'shai3'anki, and 

 through him they became known to the people of medicine and craft 

 and were taught by A'chiyala'topa (being with wings and a tail of 

 knives) the art or secret of sword swallowing." 



When the 'Hle'wekwe started on their return journey the}' were pro- 

 vided with Beast Gods as warriors. It has been stated that the Divine 

 Ones visited Shi'papolima and transformed the medicine men into 

 Beast Gods as guardians of the world. The cougar, bear, badger, wolf, 

 shrew, and six snakes for the six regions were appointed to accom- 

 pany the "^Hle'wekwe. Long was their journey and many their stops 

 ere finding the Middle place and their people. On reaching To'yakwi 

 (Nutria)* they built a village and here, as elsewhere, they placed tlunr 

 et'towe, with the sacred prayer plumes, on the ground upon cloud 

 symbols of meal, and prayed, whereupon the earth was soon covered 

 with snow. Then the people cried: ''Let us hunt the rabbit.*' Two 

 of the officers of the *Hle'wekwe instead of hunting the rabbit went 

 to the mountains for deer. Looking westward from the mountain 

 top they discovered smoke, and exclaiming that their people must be 

 there the}' hastened toward the point whence the smoke issued. 

 When the two officers entered the village the people inquired of them 

 who they were, and they replied: "We are A'shiwi, of the 'Hle'wekwe 

 fraternity.*' The Kia'kwemosi (rain priest of the North) was iiotiried 

 and he gave them a warm greeting and said: '"After ten days [time 

 periods] bring your people hither." Upon their return to To'yakwi 

 the two officers told of their meeting with the A'shiwi, and the 'Hle'- 

 wekwe, anxious to be again with their people, moved on nearer to 



a The swords originally used by this fraternity are supposed to have been exactly like the one now 

 used by the 'Hiem'mosona (sword director), which is asserted to be the original sword presented by 

 A'chiyala'topa to the original <Hli?mm()sona. This sword has a cylindrical handle about 3 inches 

 in thickness, and there are no plumes attached The zigzag sword carried by the warrior of the 

 fraternity is also declared to be one of the original swords. 



b Nutria is a farming district 25 miles east ol Zuiii. 



