362 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



II. THE ORIGIN OF THE EAGLE PEOPLE 



Natoi when our father (kimkaawei) Waeide decided we were going 

 to come out from the bottom of the earth, all joined their thought 

 into one thought. They thought it over how we should come out 

 and they asked the t'aikabede what should be done. He called his 

 p^iwilawen and wilawen and talked it over. The "Uttle captains" 

 said it would be all right if they should put in some kyapiunin to 

 have charge over the people, to guide them. The t'aikabede and 

 pqimlawe thought it was good. Then he separated the people into 

 two parts, shifunin and shure'. The shifunin had to go ahead. The 

 shure' to come out second. So witawere was told by t'aikabede to 

 pick six men from each [moiety]. So he took six from the shifunin 

 and six from the shure'. These clowns were fixed just as they were 

 to be in the world. The hair of the sliifuiiin was tied on each side, 

 that of the shure', on top of the head. Long willows were given to 

 the kyapiunin to punish people who did not obey. They told the 

 shifunin to dig the hole up to go out. They tried to dig with their 

 heads day after day, but they could not dig. They told their younger 

 brothei-s to trj^ to dig. When the first one tried, some dirt came 

 down, a little bit; the second tried and made a larger hole, then the 

 third and fourth and fifth and sixth tried. The sixth dug it almost 

 out, but not quite. Then the head one tried again, and on his second 

 try he made a door for the people to get out. Then he told the people 

 it was ready. But first the kyapiunin had to go to a pole in the 

 middle of the house, where there were turtles and clothing of all 

 kinds. The shifunin were so anxious to start they took only the 

 turtles. The shure' took the drum and buckskin and whatever was 

 left. The shifunin got out first. The shure' stayed behind until all 

 the people got out. Then they came out last. From there they 

 came, from the north. One thing they did not have, an eagle feather. 

 A woman on the way had a little baby who cried and cried. They 

 forgot this woman and left her behind. While the baby was crying 

 and looking around, it saw an eagle flying around. The eagle flew 

 lower and took out a feather, which fell on top of the breast of the 

 crying baby. When they found out that the woman was missing, the 

 kyapiunin had to go back to look for her. ^^Tlen they found her, 

 she told them how they were left behind and how the eagle threw 

 dowai its feather. So they named the baby shyutaiine (eagle person). 

 Finally they caught up with the party ahead when they were close 

 to Shiawiba. Right there the old people decided for the people to 

 live there always and not to be moving to and fro like other people. 

 That's all. 



