The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, Havasupais — John Shaqi
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, HavasupaisJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, Havasupais
James, George Wharton
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
That the natchi is more than a sign of warning to outsiders to keep
away from the secret rites of the kiva is evidenced by the variety of
materials used; and, indeed, the things themselves are now known to be
symbols, to some of which Mr. Voth has learned the key. For instance,
on the natchi of the Snake and Antelope Societies, the skins of the
_piwani_--which is supposed to be the weasel--are attached. The Hopis
say of the animal to whom the skin belongs that when chased into a
hole, he works his way through the ground so quickly that he escapes
and "gets out" at some other place. Now see the ceremonial significance
of the use of this weasel's skin on the Snake natchi. They are supposed
to affect the clouds and compel them to "come out," so that rain will
come quickly.
Near all the villages, or on the terraces below, a number of shrines
may be found where certain of the "Powers" are worshipped. In the
account of the Snake Dance I speak of the shrine of the Spider Woman,
and show the photograph made when I followed Tubangointiwa (the
Antelope chief), and watched him deposit bahos and offer prayers to
her. The number of shrines is large. I have seen many, but there is not
space here to describe them. It is an interesting occupation, during
the ceremonies, to follow the priests, after they have deposited the
puhtabi and begun to sprinkle the sacred meal, to the shrines. If the
observer can then have explained to him the deity to whom the shrine is
dedicated, and his or her place in the Hopi pantheon, his knowledge of
Hopi worship will be considerably increased.
Of katchinas much might be written. They are ancient ancestral
representatives of certain Hopi clans who, as spirits of the dead, are
endowed with powers to aid the living members of the clan in material
ways. The clans, therefore, pray to them that these material blessings
may be given. "It is an almost universal idea of primitive man," says
Fewkes, "that prayers should be addressed to personations of the beings
worshipped. In the carrying out of this conception men personate the
katchinas, wearing masks and dressing in the costumes characteristic
of these beings. These personations represent to the Hopi mind their
idea of the appearance of these katchinas or clan ancients. The spirit
beings represented in these personations appear at certain times in
the pueblo, dancing before spectators, receiving prayer for needed
blessings, as rain and good crops."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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