146 THE ACOMA INDIANS 



ETH. ANN. 47 



Akohai'titu (east point of Ako). There were also rabbits, squirrels, 

 birds, and trees on top of the mesa. Masem told his people that he 

 was going to live on top of the rock. So he and his brother ascended 

 the mesa. After a few days they returned and told the people that 

 some day they would all live up there; that the village at the foot 

 would be destroyed. They also said that they were going to disap- 

 pear, but that they would be living beneath a rock on the east end 

 of the cliff. (On the cliff to-day stand two rock pillars under which 

 the spirits of Masewi and Oyoyewi live.) But some day, Masewi 

 told them, he and his brother woidd return as great warriors, riding 

 on tsityaiowic (?). Then the world would come to an end. Every- 

 one would be killed. After that some people (presumably the faith- 

 ful) would live forever. 



The settlers at the foot of the mesa began to build a village. First 

 they built the war chief's house, then those for the medicine men, 

 then the houses for the others. Each was to help the other in this 

 work. They had some altars and masks that they had made at 

 Kacikatcutia. They planted corn, beans, squash, and melons. They 

 did not irrigate at that time. 



\Mien they had become settled in their new home they decided to 

 try to bring the k'a^'tsina back. They made more masks. The war 

 chief (at that time the war chief served for life and was succeeded 

 at death by his son) appointed two men to serve as go'maiowic. 

 They were to hold this position permanently and at death to be 

 succeeded by their sons. 



WTien all preparations had been made and the prayers offered to 

 Wenimats' the two scouts appeared in the village the morning fol- 

 lowing and told them that the k'a-'tsina would come in four days. 

 They told the people to make every preparation for their arrival, to 

 clean up the whole village, grind corn, bake bread, hiuit game, etc. 

 They were to make a food sacrifice to the k'a-'tsina. The older 

 people knew that the k'a"'tsina were merely impersonated by their 

 own people, but the younger folks thought that the real k'a^'tsina 

 were to come. 



On the morning of the fourth day the k'a"'tsina, preceded by the 

 go'maiowic, came. They came around the south side of the mesa 

 to the east point. The war chief met them in the plaza. The 

 k'a"'tsLna brought no presents, and they never spoke, as they had 

 done before the fatal fight. The k'a-'tsina danced in the plaza and 

 prayed for rain. (It was said that they prayed either to latik" or 

 to the Shiwanna.) Rain came. This ceremony became sacred and 

 was repeated. The masks were preserved carefully. 



Among the dangers and annoyances in the life at Akohai'titu were 

 a Flint bird (Hictiani Koasut, something with wings of flint) that used 

 to steal away yoimg girls and carry them ofl' to his home above the 



