300 



ISLETA, NEW MEXICO 



bird (w'ffiotushuriure) feathers. Now the group stands. (Fig. 13.) 

 The extra man or outside helper, we may call him, is instructed to 

 take some crumbs from the basket and bowl that have been reserved 

 for this purpose, i. e., to feed the stillborn. The chief sprinkles meal 

 in the directions and then sprinkles a meal road to the door, over 

 which the last assistant and the outside helper pass and leave the 

 house, the one carrying the food ofi'ering, the other the prayer stick. 

 The two are referred to as tokmni'we which may mean "they who 

 are going to feed the stillborn." The last assistant tells his companion 

 not to turn back or look to one side.* When the two arrive at 

 Nam'pekoto'ade^ they find there a bank with a hole in it, through 

 which the last assistant throws meal, then goes in a little way, extend- 

 ing his hand with the prayer stick, praying, and waiting for the still- 

 born to take the prayer 

 stick from him. This 

 they do. Then he with- 

 draws and calls to the 

 outside helper, who 

 has been throwing his 

 meal and burying his 

 crumbs under a near-by 

 bush. Both men run 

 for a little way and 

 then walk back to their 

 ceremonial house. As 

 usual, they say aku- 

 wam ! then, after enter- 

 ing, the last assistant 

 tells the story of the 

 whole affair from the time they made the prayer stick to their return, 

 what they met on their way, how the strUbom took the prayer stick, 

 how they ran, and then walked back. 



B}^ this time the sun has risen. All go out and thi-ow pollen to 

 the sun and give thanks. "When they reenter the house they dismiss 

 the outside helper who carries with him (as pay) the basket and bowl 

 from which he had taken the crumbs. Now the chief and his assist- 

 ant go to the ceremonial house of the town chief '" to tell him aU 

 about the ceremony they have accomplished. Returning from the 

 town chief they tell the waiting assistants of how they made their 

 report. All thank one another. The chief gives permission to all 

 to leave. The ceremony is finished. 



Figure 13. — Positions of Corn group in ritual for stillborn: a. Chief. 

 6, Last assistant, c, Outside helper, d, Bowl and basket 



' As in feeding the dead at Narabe' (Parsons, 19: 236). 



* See p. 318. There has been a proposal to run a highway near this sacrosanct place, to which the towns- 

 people will not agree. 



10 During the days of the ceremony the town chief has remained in his house to receive reports, but he 

 has not himself engaged in ceremonial. 



