[55] The cane was the symbol of the Aztec merchant, and his friends did this utlatl or otate great reverence at a feast on the return from his travels; it symbolized Yiacatecutli, the god of merchants. Slaves were also sacrificed at a temple rite involving the canes (Sahagún, _A History of Ancient Mexico_, 1:41-42). Among the Huichol the staff of the judges in the native courts are accorded “a superstitious reverence” as symbols of authority (Lumholtz, _Unknown Mexico_, 2:250). And although Governor Valdes had visited most of the pueblos to appoint native governors and captains by the year 1642, in Tarahumari the native term for leaders is igúsuame, “stick-bearers” or selfgame, “lance-bearers” (Bennett and Zingg, _The Tarahumara_, 375-76). [56] Skinner, _Societies of the Iowa_, 718; Harrington, _Religion and Ceremonies_, 187-88; Opler, _Lipan Apache Field Notes_. [57] Parsons, _Taos Pueblo_, 65; Skinner, _Societies of the Iowa_, 725; Radin, _A Sketch of the Peyote Cult_, 4, 21; Densmore, _The Peyote Cult_ (but there is no biblical authority for this in Exodus 7. 19, 20. or concerning Aaron’s rod in Exodus 8 or 10.13). [58] Skinner, _Societies of the Iowa_, 724; Cooke, _Ute Field Notes_. [59] Winnebago gourds often have on them pictures of Christ, the cross and “crown” of thorns, the shepherd’s crook and other Christian symbols (White Buffalo, in Blair, _The Indian Tribes_, 282; see also Harrington, _Religion and Ceremonies_, 188; _Handbook of the American Indians_, 2:355b; Kroeber, _The Arapaho_, 400, 405; Radin, _Crashing Thunder_, 20). [60] The best gourds are relatively small, not more than 3″ in diameter, somewhat flattened on the top rather than spherical, and elongated toward the handle. A hole is made through the gourd opposite the neck, cut off an inch or so from the round part; a stick is thrust through these, the neck hole being reinforced and made smaller by whittling down half a spool and glueing it in. There is no peg transversely through the portion emerging through the top, but both this and the handle part are usually covered with tightly-sewn buckskin to which bead-work is attached; some handles are carved or left plain. A tuft of red-dyed horse-hair is often put on the top and a buckskin fringe at the bottom; shot or pebbles make the sound. [61] Kroeber, _The Arapaho_, 400; Skinner, _Ethnology of the Ioway_, 249; _Societies of the Iowa_, 724; Hoebel, Voegelin, Opler, and Cooke, _Field Notes_; Mooney (_Miscellaneous Notes_) says Comanche drums had eight marbles sometimes, as had also the Shawnee, according to Mrs. Voegelin.