72 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. axn. 47 



The sponsor di-\ades the package of wasani and com meal into 

 two parts. With one he prays for the child; the other he takes to 

 his brother or uncle, telling him that he is sponsoring a child (is 

 "gomg to raise a child") at initiation, and asks his assistance at that 

 time. (This man is to place a feather in the child's hair immediately 

 after he has been whipped.) 



The initiation ceremony is always held in tsitcinic ka-atc, or 

 Mauharots (the "head estufa"). On the day of the ceremony the 

 cacique goes to Mauharots and the Antelope altar is erected. In 

 the evening the cacique and the Antelope men, the war chiefs and 

 their cooks, and some medicine men gather in the head estufa; all 

 the other men of the village go to their respective kivas where they 

 spend the evening singing. 



The children are to be whipped by a k'atsina, Tsitsunits ("Big 

 Teeth"). This spirit is personated by kasina tcaiani. In the 

 evening of the initiation he goes to haimatats' k'aatc to get his mask 

 and costume. He will be accompanied by four (more or less) 

 g'omaiowic ("scouts," pi. 10, b). They, too, get their masks at hai- 

 matats'. They dress and go out on the west side of the mesa; they 

 are to come from Wenimats', you see, which lies in the west. 



After Tsitsunits has gone to the west side of the village the war 

 chief goes throxigh the streets summoning the children to the head 

 estufa. The sponsors, who have been waiting in their homes, rush 

 to get their children. Both sponsor and child have been bathed for 

 this occasion, and their heads washed in yucca suds. The sponsor 

 wears a cotton shirt and trousers (somewhat resembling pyjamas), 

 a "banda" or ribbon around his head, and moccasins; a blanket is 

 thrown over his shoulders. The boys to be whipped wear only a 

 breechcloth; the girls wear a thin calico dress. All of the sponsors 

 try to reach the ceremonial chamber first in order to secure good 

 seats. The sponsor carries the child on his back, covered with his 

 blanket. He carries the child down the ladder and then puts him 

 on the earth floor. Then he leads him to the altar, taking the child 

 by the left hand and leading him forward on the east side of the 

 fireplace. The child faces the altar; the sponsor stands behind him. 

 The sponsor puts the wasani in the child's hands and places his own 

 under them. The sponsor prays; when finished, he throws the 

 wanani on the altar. Then they find a seat, leaving the altar and 

 passing to the west of the fireplace. The sponsor takes ofl^ his blanket 

 and folds it up for a cushion. The child sits in front of him. 



All the while the singers (called manaikotitc, "grape men"), the 

 kuuts' hanotc (Antelope men) are singing. The war chiefs will be 

 along the west wall near them; they join in the singing if they wish 

 to. In the other estufas men are singing. No women are pTt'^°nt 

 in Mauharots; the girls are sponsored by men. 



