60 



THE ACOMA INDIANS 



mitting execution of these policies that is contributing so rapidly to 

 the ultimate disintegration of Acoma as an integrated socio-political 

 unit. 



The Elections 



The caciciue, as we have seen, appoints all officers, with the excep- 

 tion, of course, of his own successor, and the medicine men, who are 

 only secondarily political in character. 



The elections take place during the Christmas week. Nearly 

 everyone is up at old Acoma at this time. Some time before Christ- 

 mas the cacique decides upon liis men for the forthcoming year. 

 Before these names are announced they are given by the cacique to 

 the medicine men. It is very important to note, too, that the medi- 

 cine men may substitute a man of their choice for one of the cacique's. 

 They veiy seldom do this, it is said, but they reserve the right to 

 veto the cacicjue's choice and to substitute a man of their own selec- 

 tion, and the cacique maj' not protest. "It must be for the best," 

 they say. 



The appointments are to be announced on December 28. On the 

 evening of the 27th, the war chief goes to the head man of each 

 estufa (k'aatc) and requests him to have every one of his men in 

 the komanira (the name of the building in which the appointments 

 are announced; name of Spanish derivation) at the appointed time. 

 Everyone must attend. If there are men in the sheep camps, boys 

 are sent to relieve them. No man may be excused without very 

 good cause. Many men do not wish to shoulder the responsibilities, 

 labors, and privations of office, for which honor and distinction are 

 the only rewards, and they seek to avoid such a possibility by being 

 absent when the appointments are annoimced. 



On the mornuig of the 28th, at the hoin- set, the men gather in 

 the komanira. There is a sort of stage at the south end of the large 

 room. The medicine men are seated m the middle of this stage with 

 the yaBi (q. v.) of the outgoing officers lying before them. These 

 small staffs have been recharged with "power" by the medicine men 

 for use during the coming year. The war chiefs also are on the stage. 

 The men of the callage are in the main part of the hall. The war 

 chief announces the names of the new officers. As their names are 

 called each man ascends the platform to receive from the medicine 

 men his ya'Bi (the governor and his men receive American canes; 

 the other officers are presented with native staff's). The announce- 

 ments are made in the following order: The war chief and his two 

 assistant war chiefs, the cooks, the governor, his two heutenants, 

 the bickales (fiscales), and the water boss. 



Sometimes when a man is named for an office he tries to refuse. 

 Sometimes a man named for war chief weeps upon learning of his 



