960 ZUNI KATCINAS [eth. an.v. 47 



just finished his year, and it would not have been right to ask him 

 to do all this work for another year and so Pete's kiva father took 

 his place, and brought Bob in. 



"Bob is a sensible boy and knew what to do. When they took 

 him to the kiva he was not a bit bashful in front of all those priests 

 and head men. He spoke right out and greeted them ^ and called 

 them father. They were all surprised to hear him talk so nicely, 

 because he was so little. So they answered him and made him sit 

 down. This year Cula'witsi was much older (he was 14) but still 

 he did not know that he should greet the priests. He just stood there 

 and said nothmg until his 'father' told him what to do." 



Little Cula'witsi is not required to attend the nightly meetings of 

 the katcinas, and he need not learn the long prayers. However, he 

 attends with his "father" the formal meetings of the Saiyataca party 

 with the wo'we on the four nights following the monthly offerings of 

 prayer sticks. The members of the group convene bnmediately after 

 their eve nin g meal, but the formal recital of the chants does not begin 

 until about 11 o'clock. By this time poor little Cula'witsi is nod- 

 ding on his stool, but his "father" sees that he does not sleep, 

 although as the night advances, he can barely keep his eyes open. 

 The meetings break up about 2 o'clock, and a very sleepy Uttle boy 

 goes to school that mornmg. 



Cula'witsi offers prayer sticks with the rest of the Saiyataca party. 

 His father helps hmi to make them, but he himself plants them. His 

 father goes with him to the spring. The springs are from 4 to 8 miles 

 distant. The party leaves about 11 o'clock in the morning and 

 returns before sunset. Cula'witsi and his father lead the group, as 

 they do at Ca'lako. It is frequently very difficult to have boys 

 excused from school for this religious duty. 



After kohaito, the plantings are made every ten days for forty days, 

 and then again on the forty-fourth day. On tliis day the planting is 

 made in the evening. After they have planted their prayer sticks, 

 Cula-witsi kindles fire by friction. This is a difficult job, which 

 requires both skill and strength. As soon as the Idndling of cedar 

 bark ignites, Cula'witsi lights his torch, which his father has made 

 for him earlier m the day. He has also gathered great piles of dry 

 brush to be burned as signal fires. In 1928 there were sLx such fires, 

 two at White Rocks, two at Grease Hill (about halfway in) and two 

 on the Salt Lake Road, just beyond the last houses. The light, dry 

 material flares up quickly, burns brilliantly for a short time, and dies 



*^ Literally, "he called them by terms of relationship." The person entering a room always speaks 

 first. On entering the chamber of the priests, or any other formal gathering, the proper greeting is: " My 

 fatliers, how have you lived this while" (horn a'tatcu, ko'na Ion Eewanan ateaiye?) to which the answer 

 is "Happily. Be seated." (Eetsanici. i'tinaEa.) A priest on entering such an assembly or the house of a 

 layman would say, "My fathers, my children . . ." or "My fathers, my mothers, my children . . ." 

 "even if there were only one person there." Second person plural is always used informal or polite 



