WHITE] GOVERNMENT 41 



Spanish origin, and is simply a secular ann of the cacique and the war 

 priests. Government at Acoma may be said to be theocratic; the 

 chiefs are priests and their authority is sanctioned by, if not derived 

 from, the deities. Closely associated with the priest-chiefs are the 

 curing societies, and at times the o-pi, or Warriors' Society, and the 

 k'acale (koshare). The societies, especially the medicine societies, 

 exert a great influence in political life, although they do not [mid ion 

 directly as adnunistratoi-s. 



The officers and societies arc the chief custodians of tril>al lore, 

 paraphernalia, and ritual, much of it being esoteric in character. Our 

 account of the political functions of these agencies will, naturally, 

 bring us into rather close contact with other than political phases of 

 pueblo life, such as worship, ceremonialism, etc. The functions of 

 the officers are not political alone, but astronomical, ceremonial, agri- 

 cultural, and etliical as well. 



The Cacique.-^ 



The cacique is caUed ha'actitcani (ha'acti means pueblo; the 

 tcani refers to a person; ha'actitcani, then, means a person who 

 symbohzes or represents the whole pueblo). The cacique is the most 

 important individual in the pueblo, the most honored, and most 

 respected. He is regarded as the father of the pueblo. He is also 

 the "father of the k'atsina" (the spirits from Wenimats' who are im- 

 personated by the masked dancers, q. v.). He is always a member 

 of the Antelope clan. He serves from the time of his selection to liis 

 death. If old age or blindness should interfere with the perforn^ance 

 of his duties, however, another Antelope clan man (or perhaj)* the 

 war chief) will substitute for hLin. 



The cacique is more priest than chief; he comisels more than he 

 commands. He is the highest religious officer as well as the political 

 head. His duties and functions are as follows: He "watches the 

 Sim"; i. e., he determines the times of the solstices. This is, perhaps, 

 his most important ceremonial function. (See section on Solstice 

 Ceremonies.) He sets the dates for practically all ceremonies. The 

 medicine societies set the date for their initiation ceremonies and for 

 private curing ceremonies, but they secui-e the permission of the 

 cacique for their initiation ceremonies. The cacique decides w^ben 

 general public curhig ceremonies are to be held and requests the 

 medicine men to hold them. He decides which kiva groups are to 

 dance in the siuumer dance. He is host to the masked dancers when 

 they come to give a dance in the plaza, welcoming them when they 

 arrive and thanking them upon then- departure. He has an altar 

 (pi. 1,0); but since the cacicjue is not a medicine man (as he is, or may 



■*' See myth, Antelope Man Brings Back the K'atsina. 

 6066°— 32 4 



