366 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann.47 



3. How THE Town Chief Got His Mother 



Nato'ai, after they came up, the war chief was planning to feed the 

 people. He summoned the men, and they sang hunting songs. The 

 next morning they went hunting — men, women, and children. After 

 they had made their first surround, one girl lingered behind, and as 

 she passed by the spring (so'awi) she heard a voice singing. She 

 wondered who it was in the pool. "I wish I could see him and talk 

 to him." A youth (owade) came out of the pool. He told her he 

 did not live in this world but in Wimda. The war chief did not see 

 the girl. "VMien he found her he asked her why she had staid behind, 

 and he wliipped her and ordered her to overtake the others. After 

 the third surround the war chief asked the girl again wh3^ she had 

 staid behind. She told him about the boy. 



After the people had gone home the war chief called all the chiefs 

 to go to the kiva and the war chief brought in the girl. After they all 

 had come in they removed the ladder. They had to learn why the 

 girl had staid behind in the hunt. They asked her about it. She 

 said she had staid behind to talk to the young man. Tutude and 

 bachude talked together and went out to gather their things. The 

 girl they kept there. She was crying. Tutude and bachude brought 

 in their Mothers (keide) and laid down their altar and began to make 

 their ceremony, placing the girl near the altar. They used their 

 crystal (poshiko) and with power from iema'paru they said the girl 

 was not expected to live in this world ; she belonged in Wimda. The 

 youth she had talked to was from Wimda. He was a powerful man. 

 They were calling to her from Wimda to come to them. The town 

 (kitude) had to prepare what she was to take to Wspide; now they 

 knew what had happened. The town chief preached to the people 

 about what they were to prepare for the girl, and how they had to 

 take her where she belonged. 



They went out and took the girl with them and fed her, not letting 

 her go home but keeping her in the town chief's house. The town 

 chief, and the chiefs of the medicine societies and the war chief were 

 the ones to clothe her, all in cotton clothes. That night all, including 

 the chiefs of the Corn groups, went back to the kiva, where the war 

 chief talked to them. They were to fast for four days. The first 

 day they began to work at the clothes, at the manta and belt of cotton, 

 and at the moccasins. The girl was there, crying all the time because 

 they were going to send her away. They made wsemi ^^ (large bunch 

 of prayer feathers, feathers of all lands tied together) and a cigarette 

 (win) ; also lalasliie' for her hair.^" On each of the four days in the 

 morning the war chief called out that everybody was to purge himself. 



" Wep, pay. Term not applied to-day to prayer feathers. 

 » Bunch of painted feeathcrs. 



