sTEVExsoNj "^ko'shi'kwe 575 



covered way in the manner heretofore described. They pass around 

 by the east side to the north, and after they dance around twice 

 the}" stand in an ellipse and dance for a time. Then while they step 

 ver}' slowly a warrior runs to the West. The other warrior (elder 

 brother Bow priest), following him. strikes him over the left shoulder. 

 The director runs to the South and the deputy follows him. hitting 

 him over the left shoulder. Then the elder brother Bow priest runs 

 to the East, the other warrior following and striking him over the 

 loft shoulder. The deputy then runs in a circle indicating the Zenith 

 and the director strikes him on the left shoulder, and the warrior runs 

 in a circle indicating the Nadir and the older brother Bow priest 

 strikes him on the left shoulder. They^ then join the dancers. 



There are four dances in the plaza after the sunrise dance: at the 

 close of each dance the fraternity retire to their ceremonial cham- 

 ber. Cactus is carried in the first three dances by the four office i-s 

 only, but the willows are dispensed with for the fourth dance, and all 

 carry large pieces of cactus in each hand. The mixture of squash 

 blossoms and seeds is taken into the mouth of each member before he 

 leaves the ceremonial chamber. At times the dancers leave the circle 

 and use the cactus right and left, and all so unfortunate as to l)e near 

 enough to be struck have no doubt as to its efl'ect. -' It is observed that 

 when members strike one another they usually run the cactus one way, 

 and it is alwa\'s run through the mouth in the same manner. There 

 are some exciting scenes, especially when the two warriors leave the 

 plaza and return with huge pieces of the plant and enter into bouts 

 with it, each one VN^ng with the other in his exhibition of indifference 

 to the pain inflicted by the other. The dancing and fighting with 

 cactus in the plaza continues until after sunset, when the fraternity 

 return to their chamber, where thev enjoy a repast. After smoking 

 and chatting for a time, they dance again and fight with cactus in the 

 ceremonial chamber until sunrise. At this time the fraternity father 

 hands a corn husk to the novice and leads him to a painting which was 

 made on the floor in front of the altar before sunset the previous day.* 

 The novice steps upon the painting, with his face to the altar, but 

 in a moment he faces the east, and then as quickly as possible^ turns 

 around on the painting four times, and stepping outside the painting 

 stoops and hunts out the grains of corn, depositing them in the coi-n 

 husk. Then the deputy adniinisters medicine water, the director at 



n When the cactus breaks off in the outdoor dance the members note the circumstance, and if it 

 -■trikes a man or boy, the member catches him, if possible, and he is led to the ceremonial chamber, 

 uhere he is painted and dressed like the others and comes out in the next dance. He carries switches 

 in the dance, accompanies the party when the cactus and willows are buried, and plants the prayer 

 plumes given him by the man who caught him and who becomes his fraternity father, but he may 

 not use cactus until he is fully initiated. 



'' The painting is a ground color of powdered kaolin on ordinary sand laid about an inch thick on 

 the floor. Figures of the Ku'plshtaya of the .six regions form a circle on the disk. ,V diagonal line, 

 symbolic of the galaxy, crosses the disk and different-colored grains <.f corn represent .stars. Cloud 

 symbols extend from the periphery oi the disk toward the altar. 



