110 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 47 



gods,^ bear paws, large flints, a bowl of water and a gourd dipper, 

 a refuse bowl, a rock crystal (quartz ?), etc. The medicine men 

 are nude, except for a breechcloth. They have a black band painted 

 across the face covering the eyes. They have their long hair tied 

 up in front with a com husk. Two short tuikey feathers are worn 

 at each temple. 



The patient is brought in and placed on a blanket on the floor.' 

 The father or mother and perhaps one or two relatives may be there, 

 but the general public is not admitted. 



The head medicine man begins to mix the medicine (wawa). He 

 takes a gourd dipperful of water from the water jar which he pours 

 into the medicine bowl (waititcani), surging the while a song to the 

 north.* Then another dipperful with a song to the west, and so on 

 through south and east. Then he fills the bowl. Perhaps he sings 

 another song or two. Then he takes from his collection of buckskin 

 bags some herb medicines which he sprinkles in the medicine bowl.' 

 Then the other medicine men put in their medicines. If there are 

 any women tcaiani they put their medicines in last. 



Then diagnosis and cure are begim. The headman picks up the 

 small rock crystal which lies before the altar and peers thi-ough it 

 at the patient. Tlus crystal (ma'caiyoyo) enables the medicme man 

 to see the objects which have been mjected into the patient's body. 

 He can see witches, too. In fact, a doctor can see anythmg any- 

 where with the aid of this lens; even if he be blind ordinaiily, he can 

 see during curing ceremonies with the aid of this crystal.' WTien 

 naicnia (the headman of the society) has finished his examination 

 each doctor in turn uses the crj^stal to inspect the patient." 



2 The medicine men do not themselves possess "power" to oppose witches and to cure ailments caused 

 by them. They receive the power necessary from certain animal spirits who are the "real" medicine 

 men. These are the bear, who ranks first, the mountain lion (who probably comes next), the eagle, bad- 

 ger, snake, and wolf. One animal is associated with each cardinal point, but my informant was not sure 

 of the point to which each belonged. 



3 If the patient is a boy he is brought in naked. Girls wear only a cotton dress; the body must be free 

 for examination. 



* Four colors correspond to the cardinal points; North is yellow, west blue, south red, and east white. 



5 The medicine men gather their herb medicines on Moimt Taylor, which lies 20 or 25 miles to the north 

 of Acoma, and whose summit is approximately 4,000 feet above the elevation of .\coma. The doctors 

 walk all the way; it takes them several days to go, gather herbs, and return. At the summit they deposit 

 prayer sticks in the depression which was once the mouth of the volcano. Several days are spent after 

 the medicine men return to ,\coma in grinding their medicines and putting them away for future use. 

 Some of these medicines are dispensed at this time to households for their own use. 



t The following incident is rather interesting; An old medicine man had a son who had been away to 

 school and who had returned a "progressive"; he did not fall in line readily with his father's way of life. 

 So he ran away. No one knew where he had gone, but it was rumored that he had gone to California. 

 The old man wanted his son to come back. He told others that he would bring him back all right, he 

 ' ' had power " ; he could find him and make him return. Some of the younger folk who were also progressives 

 and in sympathy with the runaway "kidded the old man along" (mildly), and asked him why he didn't 

 get out his ma'caiyoyo and find his son that way. 



■ Each medicine man makes his own diagnosis, and there is no consultation among them afterwards; 

 each man does as he thinks best. Also each doctor puts his own herbs into the medicine bowl according 

 to bis own notions and without considering the kinds already put in by his colleagues. 



