PARSONS] CALENDAR 299 



front of the altar. Then a basket and bowl are set out for each 

 assistant and behind these are rows of baskets all edged aroimd the 

 bowls of stew. (Fig. 12.) The cliief assistant and the assistant next 

 to hiin start from different sides to go around these baskets and dishes, 

 each carrying a tortilla into which he puts bits of the food, the first 

 man carrjnng the tortilla in his left hand and picking up the bits 

 with his right hand, the second man reversing this, carrying with his 

 right and gathering \\"ith his left. Both men go up to the cliief who 

 puts some tobacco on each food collection. The first or right-hand 

 man takes some meal from the basket with his right hand, the second, 

 or left-hand man, with his left hand. They return to the farther 

 end of the baskets and wave their food collection in circuit. All present 

 perform the exorcising slicing motion. Then the two assistants go 

 out to the ash pile where they pray, the right-hand man feeding 

 Wffiide, the left-hand man feeding the dead. They return and tell 



the others what they have done ..„ 



and thatWffiide and the dead have 

 sent them their washihEj,, they have 

 got their food, what is left "their 

 sons " may eat. The cMef goes to 

 the basket and bowl of the first 

 assistant, takes a httle, prays to 

 Wseide, for permission to feed 

 "his son," and puts the food in 

 his mouth. This he does for each 

 assistant. Then he takes his o^\^l 1 

 seat and the chief assistant in turn ^ 



feeds him while the others give Fig^"^ 12.— Food distribution in com grouii 

 - , ' -,. . , _ - _ ceremonial 



thanl'cs to VVfeide and to the people 



and ask that all may get more food, for themselves and for all the town. 

 Then the chief gives permission to all to eat. After eating, the last 

 assistant (toaiwe'i) di^^des all that is left between attendants, appropri- 

 ating one basket and dish for the people of the house, another basket 

 and dish, as is usual, for the town chief to be taken to him the following 

 morning by a Mother, and another basket and dish for the stillborn. 

 Now the chief gives permission to all to go home and take their food 

 with them, after joining theu' relatives who have been waiting outside 

 in another room for them. 



The last assistant will have told one of the attendants to return 

 early in the morning, before sunrise. When this man returns he finds 

 the chief and his assistants sitting around the fireplace (fig. 13), where 

 they have been making for the stillborn (yoimaij) a prayer stick, 

 which consists of an unpainted piece of willow, measured on the last 

 two joints of the middle finger, and tied to the end several humming 



