100 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth.anx.4-. 



announced that they were going to dance the ahi'na as they now had 

 a sufficient number of k'acale. Then they go out, Mauharots and 

 its two estufas going first, and dance the ahina in the plaza. At 

 the end of the song an o^pi announces that in eight days they will 

 have a scalp dance. The k'acale and o'pi from the chamber of the 

 Fire society attended by the men from Coska'ts, Cutrini'ts, and 

 Daut'kori"ts then dance in the plaza. From this time until after the 

 dance the k'acale are in full control in the village. 



On the first evening cuti pai'yatyam", one of the head k'acale, goes 

 out to get the o'pi to bring them to the estufa; cpati pai'yatyam^ 

 brings one woman. (The procedtire is the same for each estufa. 

 Cuti pai'yatyam" from Mauharots gets his women from the east end 

 of the ^•illage; the cpati pai'yatyam" from the other group secures 

 his women from the west end.) She sits at the k'acale's place in the 

 southeast corner. There is no altar. The men sit in the northwest 

 comer, the o"pi on the west side. They sing and dance. Then the 

 men sit down while one woman (on the second night two woinen are 

 brought to the estufa, on the third night, three, and so on until the 

 eighth night) stands north of the tsiwai'mttymi and dances the aci'a 

 while a man stands in front of the fireplace and insti'ucts her. WTien 

 she has finished, a k'acale conducts her to her seat, and, when the 

 evening is over, to her home. No one may smoke during these 

 eight daj^s unless given cigarettes by the k'acale or the o"pi. Con- 

 sequently, every evening the heavy smokers of the pueblo come to 

 the estufa for tobacco. This is a rule imposed by Masewi. 



On the second day the k'acale hire women to make sweet corn 

 meal. It is ground on the third day and returned to the estufa on 

 the foin-th. In the afternoon of that day they go into a side room 

 adjoining the estufa. There they set up their altar. They have 

 one ho'nani (corn ear, q. v.), a bowl for medicine, and several jars 

 of water. They make a sand painting on the floor. 



Shortly before sundown they paint and dress themselves in some 

 grotesque manner and go out of the estufa. They climb up on the 

 highest house near by and yell. Then they go about the village by 

 twos, amusing the people, and notifying the men to come to the 

 estufa that evening. 



When the k'acale have returned to the estufa they go into the 

 side room and paint themselves all over with i'picty^ (white) with 

 black horizontal bands. Then they prepare the mush. They put 

 filth and human excreta in it, stir it up, and later give it to the people 

 in the next room to drink. 



In the next few days the k'acale get together the costumes for the 

 opi to wear in the dance, and for the women, the k'otcininak'o. 

 On the eighth evening, the last one preceding the dance, each gi-oup 



