STEVENSON] u'hITHUKWE 521 



meal held in the left hand, for hi.s ph^'.sical puritication. The trees are 

 passed four times to be sprinkled in the same manner, and atjain four 

 times, when each person, catching the la'showanne of each tree in his 

 left hand, draws a breath as quickh" as possible; but he must not let go 

 the la'showawe until his neighbor has caught them with his left hand. 

 The 'Hlem'mosona returns to the middle of the floor, and after prayers 

 he again passes the trees four times before the order, when each one 

 catches the la'showaw^e and passes the feathers through his mouth, in 

 order that an}^ of the medicine left in the mouth from the swords may 

 adhere to the plumes/' The *Hlem'mosona again returns to the middle 

 of the floor for a moment and again passes the trees rapidly before all, 

 each one having- time onl}^ to pick off a bud or two. Every effort is 

 made to get the buds of the spruce or piiion, according to the wish of 

 the individual, for a male or female child. Returning to the middle of 

 the floor, the *Hlem'mosona holds the trees until the song ceases. Still 

 holding the trees, he addresses his people, saying: "We will have no 

 more of this until another year [four years hence. J I hope m}- people 

 will be happy and keep well. I hope our dance and songs will bring 

 cold rains and snows, and that all ma\' have bountiful crops. Now, 

 throw up 3"our arms." And all obe}' at once. 



The two small trees are now placed with the larger ones, and the 

 *Hlem'mosona unwraps the arrow point from the shaft, while each 

 member of the Sword order takes his sword with the feathered handle 

 in the left hand and, expectorating four times upon it. waves it around 

 the head four times, from left to right, for physical purification. The 

 sword is then separated from the handle and the *Hlem'moson;i places 

 the swords in the skin, which is wrapped carefully over the contents 

 and laid in the box. 



The following morning the novice's head is washed by the wife or 

 daughter of the fraternit}^ father, who gives four prayer plumes, four 

 ears of corn, and some }'ards of calico to the novice. Tlie trees, 

 including the two small ones, are carried, bv a different set of men 

 from those who gathered them, some 4 miles north of the village to 

 the top of a mesa and dropped into a deep Assure, the sword ends 

 pointing to the east. 



U'huhukwe (Eagle Down Fraternity) 



This fraternity takes its name from u'kia, down; reference to the 

 down of eagles and other birds and of native cotton. The l^'huhukwe 

 embraces four orders: O'nava'nakia (Mystery medicine). ]\Ia"ke (Fire), 

 Ha'lo (Ant), and It'sepcho (Jugglery). The last-named order has no 

 female members. The women, however, are most active during the 



a " If all of the medicine should not be removed from the mouth, it would pass down and make 

 the throat sick." 



