968 



ZUNI KATCINAS 



"Pautiwa brings in all kinds of good things for the people and the 

 Ca'lako bring all kinds of seeds, and they mention all these things in 

 their prayers and songs. Long ago the priests had their minds on all 

 these tilings. They had Pautiwa bring all kinds of good things, and 

 they had Ca'lako bring in all kinds of seeds for the people, and then 

 they thought, 'Now who will be the one to come with them. There 

 is no one to look after the trees so that the world wall be beautiful 

 and so that we may have wood for our houses and firewood. There 

 is no one to pray for them. ' So they thought, ' Now who will be 

 the one to do tliis? ' They thought of all the katcinas. Now there 

 was one katcina who had nothing. The katcma chief and his pekwin 

 were in the ceremonial room of the priests, and so they sent for this 

 one. Finally he came. When he had come in he asked, 'My 

 fathers, why have you sent for me? I am here and I should like to 

 know.' So they said, 'Everyone is bringing in all kinds of seeds. 

 We want nothing to be forgotten. That is why we have sent for you. 

 Is it all right that you should be the one to pray for all the trees and 

 for all kinds of wood for all the world?' So he said, 'Yes, indeed, I 

 shall be the one. I thought I was very poor. I thought I should 

 never be chosen for anytliing. But now you have thought of me to 

 be the one to be the father of the wood and I shall be the one to pray 

 for it.' 'Now we shall give you a name. You shall be called 

 Yamuhaktu (carrying wood). You are a tree and under j^our body 

 the deer he down to rest at your feet. And when you come to 

 Itiwana you shall carry deer antlers in your hands. When you come 

 to Itiwana there will be Saiyataca praying for all good fortune for his 

 people, and when he has finished you will follow after liim.' So, he 

 comes. He just stands beside Saiyataca while he prays and helps him, 

 and they mention all his trees and all the good things he is bring- 

 ing too." 



Two Salimopiya (see p. 988) accompany the Saiyataca party at 

 Ca'lako. These are yellow and blue one year, red and white the next, 

 and the third, many colored and black. 



The impersonators are chosen by the katcina chief the day before 

 Saiyataca comes in to go into retreat. They go out with the Saiyataca 

 party that night, and when the group comes in, fighting their signal 

 fires, it is the Salimopiya who make the most noise. Then- call is loud 

 and high. 



They remam in retreat for four days in the ceremonial house of the 

 Saiyataca party. On the final day they come in with them and spend 

 the early part of the night in the Saiyataca house. They do not plant 

 prayer sticks in the streets, or in the house. Later, when the dancing 

 starts, they leave to dance in all the Ca'lako houses. Like the Ca'lako, 

 they strike with their yucca any one whom they see asleep. 



On the follo'wing moi'ning they accompany the Saiyataca group to 

 the field south of the village where the concluding ceremonies are 



