142 THE ACOMA INDIANS 



Another item of interest here concerns paraphernaha. At Aconia a 

 wooden slat altar is used at cures. It is called yaBaicini. Among 

 the eastern Keres the slat altar is used at the solstice ceremonies (and 

 presumably at retreats), but not at cures. Moreover, it is called 

 ai'tcin; in the east yaBaicini refers to the meal painting and layout of 

 fetishes used at cures. Possible explanations of these (and other) 

 differences must be reserved for other studies. 



Acoma culture, then, in a word, is marginal Keresan, with evidences 

 of strong western influence. 



MYTHS AND TALES 



Emergence and Migration 



They came out of the earth, from latik'", the mother. They came 

 out through a hole in the north called Shipap. They crawled out 

 like grasshoppers; their bodies were naked and soft. It was all dark; 

 the sun had not yet risen. All of the little people had their eyes 

 closed; they hadn't opened them yet. latik" lined them all up in a 

 row, facing east. Then she had the sun come up. When it came up 

 and shone on the babies' eyes they opened. They crawled around. 

 In eight days they were bigger and stronger. They walk around now. 

 There was a lake at Sliipap. There was an island in the center of the 

 lake, and there was a building on the island. latik" left her people 

 when they got big enough to take care of themselves and went to 

 live in this building. Before she went she told the people how to get 

 food to eat. She also told them about the k'a-'tsina who lived out 

 west at Wenimats'. She told them that the k'a^'tsina would come to 

 dance for them. She told the people that they must respect these 

 spirits, for they were very powerful. latik" told her children to 

 multiply and to teach their children to live as latik" wished. She 

 said that she woidd always be near them to help them and to take 

 care of them. 



Among the children of latilv" were two brothers, Masewd and Oyo- 

 yewi. They were very powerful and very wise. They became the 

 leaders of the people. 



One day two G'o'maiowic (scouts) came to announce the coming 

 of the k'a-'tsina in four days. Everyone busied himself in prepara- 

 tions for the reception of the k'a-'tsina. The women ground corn 

 and made bread; the men hunted rabbits and deer. Masewi and his 

 brother showed the people how to make prayer sticks (hatcamoni) 

 and how to worship the k'a-'tsina. On the evening of the third day 

 everyone prayed to the k'a-'tsina with their prayer sticks and corn 

 meal (ckati-na) and made offerings of bread and game. The next 

 morning the k'a'tsina arrived, preceded by two go-'maiowic. The 

 k'a-'tsina were dressed the way the masked dancers are to-day (but 



