STEVENSON] MA'^KE "^HLAN'nAKWE 511 



eastern covered way. Ere the last of the dancers has disappeared 

 from the plaza the music of the notched sticks is beo-un and the men 

 and women form for the circle dance described in the 'Hle'wekwe 

 ceremonial. The circle gradually increases in numbers, through the 

 untiring energy of the a'mosi and the a'mosono"'kia. ^luch persua- 

 sion is often necessary in order to secure the dancers. 



On retiring to the ceremonial chamber after the last dance the 

 swords are handed over to the 'Hlem'mosona and all pray before the 

 altar. A feast brings the sword festival to a close. 



ORIGIN OF THE SHO'tIKIANNA, ARROW DIVISION 



One day a white arrow point, as long as from the tip of the middle 

 finger to the second joint measured on the under side of the finger, 

 dropped to the floor through the hatchway of the ceremonial chamber. 

 The director of the Great Fire fraternity exclaimed: '' What is this?" 

 He lifted the arrow and, upon examining it, expressed thanks for the 

 gift. He declared that A'chiyiilil'topa (being with wings and tail of 

 knives) must have dropped the arrow, wishing him to institute an 

 arrow order. The director attached the arrow to a reed shaft, and 

 after making three eflorts he succeeded the fourth time in running the 

 arrow down his throat to his heart. He afterward initiated others 

 into the arrow swallowing, and so instituted the order of the Arrow. 

 Only men belong to this order. The ceremonial occurs every fourth 

 year in February, in connection either with the po'sikishi (spruce 

 tree) ceremony or with the pa'et'towe (Navaho dance). The arrow 

 swallowing is always combined with sword swallowing and is syn- 

 chronous with the sword or tree ceremonial of the 'Hle'wekwe in 



February. • 



On the fourth day of the festival of the winter solstice the war- 

 rior of the .Great Fire fraternity cuts a reed square across the ends, 

 the length from the carpus to the tip of the middle finger. He places 

 a bit of raw cotton in one end, and after filling the reed with corn 

 pollen he stops the other end Avith cotton, then colors the reed red, 

 leaving the cotton white, and attaches to the center of the reed a 

 la'sliowanne (one or more plumes attached to cotton cord) composed of 

 a flufly under-wing eagle feather, banded turkey feather, and a tail 

 feather from each of the birds of the six regions. A bead, which 

 may be ko'hakwa or turcjuoise, is strung on the string attached to the 

 la'showanne. The reed is wrapped in a corn husk and the warrior 

 hands it to the *Hlem'mosona, who sits near the altar, the fraternity 

 being convened in the afternoon. Holding the reed with both hands, 

 the *Hlem'mosona prays: " Give me rains, give me corn, horses, all ani- 

 mal food, and other food and all clothing." Then he gives it to another 

 ofiicer of the fraternity, who repeats the prayer. The reed in this 



