296 



ISLETA, NEW MEXICO 



[ETH. ANN. 47 



"children'' can drink of the water. . . . The chief assistant smokes 

 in all the directions, reverses the cane cigarette, holding the ht end 

 in his mouth, and blows the smoke into the bowl. He passes the 

 cigarette on, and so it circulates, each assistant smoking in the direc- 

 tions and swallowing the smoke.^ From the assistants the cigarette 

 passes to the other men who may be present and from them, if any- 

 thing of the cigarette is left, to the women present (who always hope 

 that none of the cigarette will be left over for them to smoke). 



The chief assistant drops two duck feathers into the medicine bowl. 

 He takes up an ear of corn of the color of the group, holds it in both 



Ficx'RE 10. — Altar and water jar in Com group ceremonial 



hands by butt and tip, blows on the butt as he circles the bowl with 

 it three times. Then he dips the tip m the water and sprinkles with 

 it in circuit, everybody breathing in from their clasped hands. The 

 assistant passes his hand over the bowl as if gathering something in 

 which he gives to himself and then waves in circuit as if bestowing 

 upon those present. This rite is called wakaiitu, a ceremonial term 

 meaning imparting understanding or virtue, as well as the informant 

 could express. 



Now the meal design of the altar is to be made. The chief assist- 

 ant bids the Mother fetch the meal basket. She also removes the 



* A favorite incident in Pueblo folk tales to test a person's power. 



