98 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth.ann.47 



It is recounted by a man who was made K'acale at that time, about 

 40 years ago. 



At this time there were just a few o-pi left, and they were old men. 

 There were no more wars, so the society was doomed to extinction; 

 they could get no new members. But the old o'pi decided to have 

 one more scalp dance before they died, so they took the scalps that 

 they had presei'ved out to Dyaits kot (Pinon Mountain), southwest 

 of Acoma. On the east slope they buUt a Navaho hogan and placed 

 the scalps inside. This was in the fall, about the last of October or 

 the 1st of November. About 1 o'clock in the afternoon a man was 

 seen running toward Acoma with great speed, crying "Ah-h-h-h-h 

 Ai!" the war cry. The boys in the sheep camps were frightened and 

 began driving their flocks toward the pueblo for protection. The 

 \Tllage was tkrowii into turmoil. All the opi and other men armed 

 themselves quickly and hurried away from Acoma toward Dyaits ko't. 

 When they arrived at the hogan they fired several volleys into it. 

 Then two o'pi went in and got the scalps. The warriors rested about 

 the hogan while one of the war chiefs returned to Acoma with the 

 news. 



The messenger arrives in the pueblo and goes to the head war 

 chief's house where the cacique and the prmcipales are gathered. 

 When Cutimiti gets the news he goes out and walks through the 

 streets publishing it to the people. He tells the story in detaU, re- 

 comiting each incident of the fight and how they were finally victori- 

 ous. He tells the people to prepare food to be sent out to the warriors. 

 The women prepare lunches which they brmg to the war chief's 

 house, where his cooks receive them. Then some men take the food 

 to Pinon Mountain. 



That night in their camp the warriors sing. The next morning 

 they return to the camp with the scalps. The two o-pi who had 

 "renewed" the scalps — i. e., made the killing — were the "head" o'pi 

 for the occasion. (There was another opi who was headman as long 

 as he Hved.) The warriors wore a headdress of spruce. Their faces 

 were painted with yakatca, with stcannrn under the eyes and above 

 the mouth, and with i'pict"" (white) below. They sing the Anakaci'a 

 when they march back mto the village with the scalps. They ascended 

 the southwest trail, arriving on the mesa behind the church. The 

 o'pi carried cedar brushes with some hau's from the scalp on them. 

 The women met the warriors. The scalps were carried on a pole. 

 The gii-ls took the cedar brushes with the scalp hairs and waved 

 them. Going around to the door of the church, the sacristano bap- 

 tized the scalps. This was to "adopt" them into the pueblo. The 

 procession then passed through the seventh dancing station to the 

 eastern edge of the mesa, then west through the first street (the one 

 farthest north) to the chamber of the Fii-e society, where they turned 



