btjnzel] 



PARAPHERNALIA 869 



thoir aunts (father's sisters) before going home to their own houses. 

 One of his father's blood sisters meets him as he comes out of the kiva 

 or in the road as he comes from the shrine at wliich he has undressed 

 and takes him to her house, where as many women as possible of his 

 clan are waiting for him. The man sits on a low stool facing the east, 

 wliile his father's sister, or the female head of his father's ancestral 

 household, mixes suds of yucca. Then she prays and sprinkles water 

 on his head. The other women also dip up water. Then the father's 

 sister washes the hair thoroughly. After this, if the impersonation 

 was a minor one, the hands are washed, but in the case of all the 

 Ca'lako participants the whole body is bathed. Then the man is 

 given food and returns to his home.^' 



When no mask is worn, the same magical power that resides in the 

 mask is imputed to the body paint. And conversely, if the body is 

 not painted, particular care is taken in the manner of putting on the 

 mask. Before putting it on, he holds it in his hand for a moment 

 and prays: "I am a poor person, and I am putting on this valuable 

 mask. You will be my father, and I shall be your father. Give me 

 good luck in everything." -* 



Costume. — With the exception of Cu'la'witsi, who is impersonated 

 by a small boy, all katcinas wear some covering, and in recent years 

 even Cu'la'witsi has worn a small breechcloth. Most of the "little 

 dancers" wear only a breechcloth. This usually is a piece of dark 

 blue native cloth (Hehe'a, pi. .54, a), but embroidered sashes may be 

 worn in this manner (Grease Boy, pi. 44, b) or a strip of com- 

 mercial cotton cloth with colored embroidery or applique at the ends 

 (Salimop'iya, pis. 30, 31). 



The characteristic garment of the katcinas is a hand woven and 

 embroidered white cotton kilt. These are woven by the Hopi of 

 hand-spun white cotton. One man at Zuni weaves kilts and sashes. 

 Sometimes cement sacks, stretched and pounded to simulate the loose 

 weave of the native garment, are substituted. These kilts are em- 

 broidered with black yarn along the lower edge and in color at both 

 ends. They may be further ornamented by a broad blue painted or 

 appliqud band. The kilt is fastened on the right side. A breechcloth 

 of conmiercial cotton is always worn under the Idlt.^' 



'" In cases of doubtful paternity, which are fairly frequent at Zuni, two clans will claim the man as their 

 "child" and he will go both places to be bathed. An adopted child, or a child of a widowed or divorced 

 woman who has remarried, will go first to the house of his "own" (blood) father and then to the ancestral 

 house of his adopted father. But in an unfortunate case of disputed paternity the two clans had quarreled 

 over the possession of the child on the occasion of his society initiation, and when he danced in the Muaiye 

 neither set of aunts came for him. So he had to wait in the kiva until someone took word to his mother. 

 Then his mother's husband's sister came for him. Meanwhile the other women repented and both sent 

 for him. So he had his head washed three times. 



'» So reports my informant. I never happened to see anyone putting on a mask, but I have seen them 

 unmask most unceremoniously. But the mask is never laid down casually. Unless a special place has 

 been prepared to receive it, it is hung on the wall. 



2« Except by the KoyemcL They wear no breechcloth under their black kilts. During their play the kilt 

 may be removed. 



