PARSONS] CALENDAR 291 



help and fast for a day or a half a day. . . . There is a rabbit hunt 

 managed by the war captains for the Fathers, but whether it is held 

 after or before their retreat begins I am somewhat uncertain; probably 

 the second day of the retreat as the rabbits are destined for the supper 

 feast at the close of the ceremony. . . . 



The chief takes a seat by the fireplace with his assistants. Of the 

 attendants the men are on one side, the women on the other. The 

 chief sings one song; then he gives permission to his assistants and to 

 any attendants (amuwe'i) to sing. The chief sunmions his women 

 assistants (keide, mother), who stand in front of him. 



He gives them permission to work with him, to get water and have 

 their bowls ready for the purging and the head washing. (He has 

 sent a man out the day before to get soapweed.) The women set out 

 three bowls. Three by three the assistants kneel in front of a bowl, 

 the chief assistant 



(auki'i) taking the . V' t/ y X 



middle bowl. Each / 



sprinkles pollen to I Z W tJ '^ 



one side of the ) X Q 



bowl and from the 

 dipper drops some 

 water to the east, 

 north, west, and 

 south, and at the 

 south point up 

 and down. Then 

 he drinks, his 



nair naving been figure 8.— Diagram for head washing and emetic ritual of Corn group. 



unbelted by the CUefat fireplace, and bowl for emesis. Three bowls for head washing, 



M,i 1 1 1, another for cold water. Women to left, men to right 

 other as he knelt, 



since he may not drink without loose hair. After drinking each with- 

 draws back of the fireplace and in the bowl set there vomits the warm 

 water he has drunk. (Fig. 8.) The chief is the last to perform the 

 rite. There is a song for this purging rite. Head washing follows.*' 



Now the chief stands in the middle of the room and throws pollen 

 toward the east. Prayer feather making follows. The chief bids 

 the Mother to set out the basket, and a man assistant to bring down 

 the box of ritual feathers from where it hangs to a beam. A feather 

 is placed in front of each assistant, there are to be 12 feathers, the 

 turkey feather, "the oldest one," in front of the chief. AH sing the 

 song that belongs to work on the feathers. The Mother begins to 

 grind the ritual black paint, with a duck feather dropping some water 

 from her little bowl on to her stone ^* for grinding. A song is sung 



" There is some confusion here in my notes. 

 « With grmding stone or pebble called ak'o'o. 



