446 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



came and gave me the tips of the feathers again and set me by the 

 firephice. He waved his two feathers to the Mothers (ke'e), and then 

 gave me their breath, moving the feathers in front of me three times. 

 Again he said to me " Asompiami ! " He went back to his seat. 

 When he went back to his seat, the last helper (assistant) gave him 

 a cigarette. He smoked it in the directions, then waved it toward 

 the Mothers (keide). Then he spoke to liis helpers that they were to 

 do all they could for their son, not to be afraid of anything. He got 

 up and dipped the tips of his feathers and sprinkled me and said, 

 "Inuwe (my son), asompian, do not be afraid. You will see Math 

 your eyes that the bear you killed is still alive and wiU come to you. 

 Do not be afraid. He will not do anything to you. Try to be strong." 

 He went over to the Mothers and swept with the feathers from them 

 to himself three times. He came back, on his way dipping the feath- 

 ers, and he gave me a taste of the medicine water. He said, "Do not 

 be afraid of anything. That bear was sent by some one who was 

 envious of you in order to kill you. Where you got scared when you 

 killed, there in that place is half of your heart. Do not worry. You 

 will get well. Just have good thoughts. Ask our god (Waide) and 

 iema'paru to get well. Ag'uterimi (good bye), my son." The medi- 

 cine men came out and stood in a half circle round the medicine bowl 

 into which Ka'a was looking to see the place where I had killed the 

 bear. Then his chief helper picked up the crystal from the altar 

 and all the helpers looked into it to find the envious person, and they 

 got mad and said, "A'a'!" Ka'a picked up the flint and made as if 

 to shoot in the direction of the mountain and toward me. The helpers 

 took their places again. The chief helper held up the crystal for 

 Ka'a to look into. As he looked, he was drawing help from the 

 Mothers. Also he looked at me, and moved toward the door, his 

 helper sprinlding meal ahead of him to the door. His chief helper 

 then took his place behind the altar. Outside Ka'a called the eagle, 

 whistling like an eagle; and so he got the power of the eagle and flew 

 away. 



The war chief called all the people into the room, leaving just a 

 line to pass through. My father and sister and aunt they gave a 

 seat near me. The chief helper left his place and looked into the 

 medicine bowl. He looked toward the mountain, he was watching 

 Ka'a as he traveled, in case he needed help, so he could send to help 

 him. The war chief was advising all the people to wash and hope 

 that I get good luck and be restored to health. The chief helper took 

 up from the altar the sun and waved it three times in front of me. 

 Then he covered me with the sim. He told me not to be afraid, just 

 to make myself strong. When I felt faint, when the sun covered 

 me, he shook me and said, "Asompian!" My sister began to cry, 

 and some of my relations. One of the helpers stood up and advised 



