368 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



Besides the keide she brought up with her the three things the town 

 chief uses — the moccasins, all of buckskin, his hair feathers (lawashie'), 

 and his buckskin pouch (naw'iri). 



4. The Sun's Kick Stick 



Natoai a young man used to belong to the sun. He called him his 

 son (turide berhu, sim his son). Nashon'uchu ^* would do his father's 

 work when the sun rose. He had a kick stick (w'iv) with zigzag marks 

 of all colors on it.^' (Fig- 25.) He used to live in a cave toward the 

 sunset. He would come out in the morning and put his kick stick 

 between his toes, and throw some pollen toward the sun as the sun 

 was rising. With his toes he threw the kick stick toward the sun. 

 The lack stick flew to the east (pathiiwetoe'). When the kick stick 

 hit the ground at turshanminai (sunrise) lightning came out, and the 

 sun knew his own son was working for him (tokumchewe). He said 

 to himself, wffibaiye' (all right), waebaiye'. The sun 

 would rise, and Nashon'uchu would come singing from 

 the west. Yi^ien he got to the east it woidd be about 

 noontime. When Nashon'uchu got to the east he 

 found out that his father had been at his lack stick and 

 was pleased that he (Nashon'uchu) had been working. 

 He got his kick stick again, and he poured out some 

 pollen again toward the sun, and again he threw his 

 kick stick, and where it struck lightning came out. 

 Then the sun came down, noontime (pienu). The sun 

 Figure 25.--sun's came down and talked to Nashon'uchu. He embraced 

 him (Mexican fashion) and thanked him for the woi'k he 

 was doing for him. That's why people say the sun always stops a 

 while at noontime and comes down and meets all his sons. Nash- 

 on'uchu had some hxwashie'^" (prayer feathers) for the sun. (They 

 are what we clothe the sun with.) Nashon'uchu sprinkled some pollen 

 and got Ms lack stick, while the sun started to the west. Nashon'- 

 uchu tkrew his kick stick to the west, and the kick stick and the sun 

 met again, at turkiminai (sunset). So there the sun and his son met 

 again. Nashon'uchu gave thanks to his father for all the good works 

 he did for all the world, and for long hfe. Then the svm set, and he, 

 Nashon'uchu, staid in his cave house. 



Then the sun setting met leshynij'an (corn blue girl) and lejurij'an 

 (com yellow girl). (They Uved where the sun set.) They said to 

 the sun that they had heard some singing that had made their hearts 

 happy. It must be a nice young boy who was singing. The girls 

 said, "We wish that we might see each other in the other world." 



5s The same tale hero name. I believe, as Nashorochi which was said to refer to the colors of abalone shell. 

 s* Possibly the great pit shrine in the eastern corner of the Laguna reservation is referred to. Here were 

 found prayer sticks with lightning design. (Parsons 4: 386.) 

 80 Compare the noontime ritual of giving prayer feathers to the sun. pp. 292-293, 328. 



