42 THE ACOMA INDIANS 



be, in the Rio Grande Keresan pueblos) he may not erect this altar; 

 this must be done by the Kasina tcaian'. This altar (yaBaicini) is 

 erected at the solstices and when the children are initiated mto the 

 k'atsina cult. The cacique is present at this ceremony. Afterwards 

 the whipped children are assembled behind the church when the 

 cacique tells them about the k'atsina and the masked dancers. The 

 cacique makes and deposits a prayer stick which is different in design 

 from all others in the pueblo. He also instructs the newly appointed 

 war chiefs in the manufacture and use of their prayer sticks. The 

 cacique appoints all officers at the yearly elections (q. v.) and he 

 selects the principales. He makes allotments of land to individuals 

 or to families (q. v.). 



Whether the cacique has a "medicine bundle" or "yaya" (mother) 

 or not, I could not learn. Informants felt that "he must have one," 

 and I feel the same way, bvit exact information on this point was not 

 to be obtained. 



It might not be out of place to offer some of my impressions of the 

 present cacique and his position at Acoma. I received the impression 

 from conversations with informants (and some others) that the 

 cacique is the most important and most honored and respected officer 

 in the pueblo; he is the "most sacred." But be is somewhat aloof 

 from the daily life of the people. The war chief, I believe, is the most 

 important officer in the entire pueblo who actually comes into contact 

 Avith the people and who directs their aft'airs. And the authority of 

 the war chief is virtually the authority of the caciciue. (The situation 

 is somewhat akin to the officers on a man of war: The captain is the 

 supreme authority, but he is a bit remote. It is the executive officer 

 who, wielding the captain's authority, comes into intimate contact 

 with the other officers and men and who directs their activities.) 

 The cacique is a counselor; he is a wise, sympathetic, and just man. 

 His first duty is ever to promote the well-being of his people. His 

 wishes are transmitted to the people through the war chief. It is 

 the latter who commands and directs. The war chief also exercises 

 considerable authority upon his own initiative, as, for example, in 

 the supervision of ritual routines and in the supervision of the be- 

 havior of the folk and visiting aliens. 



But while the cacique is regarded as the highest of officers, he is 

 not to be distinguished from other men in mode of living. (Except, 

 of coui-se, that he does not work his fields; this is done by the folk 

 imder the direction of the war chief.) The cacique is the symbol, so 

 to speak, of a tradition which is very sacred. But there is nothing 

 sacred about the person of the cacique. He lives in a house at old 

 Acoma (he spends all of his time at old Acoma) which is situated in 

 a row of dwellings which are just like his except for color. The 

 cacique's house is plastered with a pinkish color. This, however, is 



