110 



INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 



were especiull}' devoted to ceremonies leading to success 

 in war. Among the Sia these societies were those of the 

 Panther, Bear, and Knife. Their leader ranked next 

 to the cacique in religious importance. The hunters 

 in earlier days were also important since they had the 

 fetishes and the ceremonies by which game could be 

 taken. The panther was their patron since he was 

 looked upon as the most successful hunter. The head 

 priest of the hunters was also a most important person. 

 Finally, the many societies (among the Sia, the Snake, 

 Spider, Ant, etc.) who have the power of healing 

 diseases and producing rain had one head shaman, 

 according to Bandelier, whose office gave him great 

 power, particularly in the discovery and punishment 

 of witches. 



Then there are two societies or classes of priests, 

 the Cuirana, or winter priests, and the Koshare, the 

 summer priests, to use the Keresan term. The former 

 by their activities cause the seeds to germinate, while 

 the latter bring the crops and all animal and human 

 life as well to maturity. It is the Koshare who act 

 as clowns on all public religious occasions. Each of 

 these societies has a leader who with the cacique and the 

 head-priest of the warriors, hunters, and healers, 

 constitute a most important sacerdotal group. 



All adults are expected at some time to participate 

 in the kachina dances. Masks and headdresses are 

 worn to represent a special class of supernatural beings, 

 in the opinion of some, ancestors. Boys and girls go 

 through an initiation which consists of a beating and 



