parsons] 



CALENDAK 



297 



water jar to upper left comer and takes out the wahtainin. As the 

 chief assistant sprinkles meal for the nake'e or nakitu' (village), as 

 the design proper is called, the others sing. The meal is of the color 

 which characterizes the group. (In the case of the All Colors Corn 

 groups meal of any color is used.) The arrow-point or blade on the 

 altar is of coiTesponding color. The wahtainin are placed around 

 the Idtu', and the prayer feathers laid down. On each side of the 

 kity' several ears of corn are stacked (for the name-getting infants), 

 and at the foot of the kitii' is placed the medicine bowl. (See fig. 10.) 

 Now the chief assistant chews the ritual root (Hfiewah) and spits out 

 all over the Idtu'. Chewing another piece, he spits out over those to 

 the left in the room, beginning ^\dth the chief, then over those to the 

 right. A Mother gives him some water to rinse his mouth, since he 

 may not swallow any of this root, only the chief may swallow it. 

 With the two duck wing feathers from the bowl the chief assistant 

 sprinkles the kitu', tapping one feather 

 against the other. Similarly he thrice 

 sprinkles the chief, who responds ka'a, 

 father. All present he sprinkles in one 

 circiut, saying, 



awa shle ukoweje 



your life arrow-point may you grow old 



All respond, ka'a, ka'a, ka'a. 



Now the chief takes the place of his 

 assistant, sprinkling the altar with meal, 

 and, with water from the duck feathers, 

 his assistant who says ka'a, to which he 

 responds tatu' (my son). The chief 

 chews the root which he has to swallow. 

 He picks up the arrow-point with his 

 left hand, and in his right holds some pol- 

 len. Facing the east he begins to dance, the others singing. To help 

 him the Mothers dance also. At a certain word in the song the chief 

 sprinldes the pollen on the altar, saying ha'i, ha'i, truhi, truhi. Then 

 in turn facing the north, west, and south he repeats this rite. Finally, 

 for the fifth repetition he faces toward where the sun is shining through 

 the roof hole; it is noon. The chief puts the prayer feathers in the bas- 

 ket, breathes from them and passes the basket on for each to breathe 

 from as was described before. If there is not time for all to do this 

 while the sun is shining through, from their seats they will merely 

 thi-ow meal toward the prayer feathers. (Fig. 11.) Now the Mother 

 ties back the hair of the chief with corn husk. With basket in left 

 hand and arrow-point in right he dances, pointing the stone up toward 

 6066°— 32 20 



Figure II.— Chief of Co 

 sitting on his blanket w 

 basket in hand 



