wniTE] CEREMONIES AND CEREMONIALISM 83 



On the day before the dance the kiva gi-oiip that is to dance first 

 eats duiner, after which they fast until noon on the day following. 

 They do not drink watei' after about 8 o'clock in the evening precedmg 

 the dance. They sleep in the estufa that night. Early ui the nioming 

 the dancers bring gifts to the back of houses just north of the plaza; 

 these are guarded by the tcukacac hotceni ("Httle cliiefs") mitil the 

 afternoon, when they are distributed. 



At sunrise the dancers leave their estufa, masked. They dance 

 in eight places along a definite circuit. (See fig. 1.) They finish 

 about noon. Then they go back of the church. They take off theii- 

 masks, take a deep draft of herb brew, and vomit. Then they eat 

 dimier. After dinner they put on their masks again. After practicing 

 a song or two, they again dance in the eight points of the circuit. 

 Then they go back of the church for a brief rest and to practice another 

 song. They come out again and dance in the first four stations; this 

 brings them to the plaza, where the cacique and the war cliiefs have 

 been watching them from their seats on the south side.™ After 

 dancing there, they go back of the houses to get the gifts. They 

 bring them out and place them in the plaza. The war chief goes to the 

 head of the k'atsina and tells him that the cacique (who is, it will be 

 remembered, the "father" of the k'atsma) is present. The head 

 k'atsina dancer returns with the war chief and greets the cacique; all 

 of the dancers follow suit. Then they bring presents to the cacique 

 and his family. They go back to dance in the plaza. All the people 

 are crowding around, for the presents are to be distributed. When 

 they finish dancing, they throw the gifts to the people. Then the 

 dancing is resumed and they pass on to the end of the circuit; then they 

 are finished. 



The dancers go to tsitcinic K'aatc, or Mauharots, the "head 

 estufa." They take off their masks and place them on the north side 

 of the room. Then they go to their own estufa; the cacique and the 

 war chiefs are gathered there. Cutimiti (the war chief) goes through 

 the streets singing, telling the women to bring food to the estufa for 

 the k'atsina (dancers). The cocineros (cooks) of the war chiefs 

 receive the food at the entrance of the kiva and pass it down inside 

 for the men. 



After supper the dancers go outside the kiva dressed in their blan- 

 kets. They dance a bit at the foot of the ladder. They are free to 

 go to their homes, but they must return to sleep in their kiva. 



Early next morning, without breakfast, the same group of dancers 

 begins to dance again. They dance in the first four places in the 

 circuit, which brings them to the plaza. Presents are to be distributed 

 again. Early that morning women have brought gifts and have 

 hidden them (as on the previous day) back of the houses on the north 



'" ADOtber informant stated that the cacique led the dancers in the plaza. 



