NO. 6 SMITHSONIAN EXPLORATIONS, I9I4 JJ 



the altar. The fraternities of the Sun people take seats south of the 

 altar, the women sitting together back of the male members. The 

 fraternities of the Ice people sit north of the altar, the women 

 grouping slightly apart from the men. After all the rehearsals of 

 the priest of the Sun people and the sage of the kiva the people feel 

 pretty sure that their songs and prayers will be recognized and 

 received by the ancient Sun Father. All the men present sing to 

 the accompaniment of the rattle and pottery drum. They are per- 

 haps more profoundly interested in this ceremony than in any other, 

 for this ritual enters into the very heart of their lives. This great 

 ancient Sun God sits in state in his house in the lake, and it is only 

 once a year that the people as a body invoke him. The larger the 

 family the greater the offerings, which consist of all food that can be 

 obtained by the Indians of to-day, and calico, cotton cloth, and a 

 variety of other things. These offerings are made to Tansedo with 

 prayers that he will see that the people may be able to secure the 

 desired objects. All parties dance, except the priest of the Sun 

 people and the director of the squash fraternity. These two must 

 listen attentively that no mistake may be made in the song. The priest 

 of the Ice people and his associates are present, having the same posi- 

 tion they occupied at the previous meeting. He and his associates join 

 in the dance for the new creation. The men are nude except for the 

 breech-cloth, and their bodies are daubed in white. The women 

 wear the native black woven dress and red belt, but arms, neck, and 

 legs are bare. Each man carries a rattle in the right hand and a sprig 

 of spruce in the left. The women carry an eagle-wing plume in 

 each hand. The spruce signifies the male element, rain. The eagle 

 plumes signify the same, for eagles live among the clouds. All 

 night the dance and song continue, invoking the ancient one. Refer- 

 ring to the great heap of offerings, they sing : " We give these 

 offerings to you ; you are great, the ancient one, you who have lived 

 always, that you will be happy and contented ; that you will see that 

 all the world receives much water that all crops may develop for 

 good. We pray that you will talk to the rain-makers, urge them to 

 go out and play their games and be happy, and to send rains to every 

 quarter of the world, such rains as will uproot trees, wash out can- 

 yons, and cover the Earth Mother in water. Let her heart be great 

 in water. And we pray that you will lift the Earth Mother from 

 her sleep, impregnate her with your rays, and make her fruitful to 

 look upon. Bless the whole world with her fruitfulness." These 

 are the invocations to be heard throughout the night, when all 

 present put their whole souls into supplicating the Ancient One for 



