456 ISLETA, NEW MEXICO [eth. ann. 47 



The white man telegraphed us that Jose was missing. Jose was 

 my father's sister's son.*^ So Jose's father and mother, and my father, 

 ad\-ised together and they decided to send me to look for him. I 

 went to the sheep camp and with another man set out to search for 

 Jose. I found him sitting imder a pine tree. His thumbs were under 

 his chin. His blanket was WTapped around him, his bandoleer lay at 

 a Uttle distance from him. I picked up the bandoleer, for I had to give 

 it to his chief. I was afraid to go closer to him. So I shot off my 

 gun three times. In the camp they answered with some shots, and 

 I shot again three times. It was late in the afternoon. We left him 

 sitting there until the next day, when three Mexicans moved him with 

 crotched sticks into the grave. His body was black like ashes. He 

 had been missmg nine days. I wanted to take the body home, but 

 the white man said it was too late. I did not eat the day I found 

 him, nor the next day. 



The Laginia Fathers performed their [death] ceremony for him. 

 They gave his Mother [iema'pani, corn fetish] to his wddow to look 

 after; but two years later she married again, and they took it from her. 



Jose was extremely powerful. Even now, if anybody is sick or 

 wants something, they will take a candle out to the western hills for 

 Jose. They build a little moimd, anywhere, and plant the candle in 

 it. We of the family put candles out for Mm in the western hills on 

 Dia de Todos Santos. Once my girl had a bad toothache. She 

 said she was going to give her "uncle " (memei) a candle. In an hour 

 her toothache was gone. That evening I went out with her and we 

 put down the candle. Jos6 was extremely powerful." 



52. The Death of Francisco 



One year after pinitu, Francisco said he was not going to dance 

 any more. The next day he went on the housetop and watched the 

 people going off on a rabbit hunt. He came down and dropped dead. 

 He swelled up right away. When Lucinda heard about it she began 

 to cry. Francisco was her husband's uncle. WTiile Lucinda was 

 crying, a woman came in and was told the news of the death, which 

 was not news to her. "That's what I heard last night," she said; 

 "they were choosing last night. " (She was referring to a witch meet- 

 ing where the death of Francisco was planned.) Some time later 

 when Lucinda's husband returned from herding, Lucinda told him 

 what the woman visitor had said. "Wliy didn't you tell them before 

 they counted his daj^s?" he asked. (He was referring to the four 

 days after death before the deceased is speeded away. Evidently he 

 thought his uncle might have been brought back to life.) 



*3 .\11 Poplar people. 



" He was the Snake Father (piruJca 'ade) . His Isletaa name was Kimpato, White Lion. 



