962 ZUNI KATCINAS [eth. ann. 47 



Saiyataca 

 (Plate 25, 6) 



Costume. — On his head he wears the downy feather and a bluejay 

 feather "because he is a priest," and also the feathers of the summer 

 birds. The feathers are actually fastened to a prayer stick. He has 

 one long horn (whence his name, "long horn"), on the right side,^* 

 "because he brings long life to all his people." His eyes are long, 

 too. But on the right side his eye is small. That is for the witch 

 people, so that they may not Uve long, but on the left side his eye 

 is long for the people of one heart, "so that they may have long 

 life." Black goat's hair hangs from the horn, and over the forehead. 

 White cotton threads hang down behind. The mask is made of elk 

 sldn. The face is painted turquoise. The collar is made of elk skin 

 stuffed with wool. 



Long ago he used to wear a buckskin sliirt, but now he wears a 

 shirt of white cotton cloth cut very full. Over this he wears an 

 embroidered white blanket folded double and fastened on the right 

 shoulder. He wears a white cotton dance kilt, with a band of blue, 

 embroidered sash, red woman's belt, fringed white buckslcin leggings, 

 blue dancing moccasins. He wears a fawn-skin quiver over the 

 right shoulder.*" He has black yam about both legs, and many 

 valuable necklaces of shell and turquoise about his neck, back, and 

 front, and on both wrists, "because he is very valuable." In the 

 right hand he carries a rattle of deer scapulae, in the left a bow and 

 arrow and many prayer stic]s;s. 



This is an old mask. It is kept with others of the Saiyataca party, 

 in a Dogwood clan house on the south side of the plaza. The people 

 of this house are suspected of •svitchcraft. (K. .56-57.) 



The impersonator of Saiyataca holds a position of great power and 

 responsibility in the pueblo. Throughout the period of liis incum- 

 bency he has the rank and prestige of one of the major priests. He 

 is referred to by title (Saiyataca mosona), rather than by name, 

 the Zuni way of showing respect. His counsel is sought in all matters 

 of ceremonial importance. He lives, also, under the same restraints 

 as a priest. He must not mix himself up in worldly affairs, he must 

 not quarrel, he must not leave the village for more than a day or two 

 at a time, not even to stay at his sheep camp;'** he must engage in no 



" The horn should be blue. 



*^ Not shown in the picture. But see Hututu. 



** During six months that I Hved in the household of the impersonator of Saiyataca he was almost never 

 away from his house, except when he was working for the house which was to entertain him, or absent on 

 some ceremonial visit. Most of the time he sat alone by the fire, engrossed in thought. Although he has 

 a well-founded reputation for laziness, he worked diligently all year for "his mother," to the great amuse- 

 ment of his wife's family. During the period of his office, he laid aside hat and shoes in favor of a silk head- 

 band and native moccasins. 



