File:Indians of the Southwest (1903) (14765206705).jpg

Identifier: indiansofsouthwe00dors (find matches)
Title: Indians of the Southwest
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Dorsey, George A. (George Amos), 1868-1931 Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company
Subjects: Indians of North America
Publisher: (Chicago) Passenger department, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railway system
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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according to the fashionthey have learned from the Paiutes. The Niman Katcina, of nine days duration, is annuallyheld in five Hopi villages the latter half of August. It is per-formed by men of the Powamu order and in the same kiva wherewe saw erected the elaborate Powamu altar. This altar, with theexception of the sand mosaic, the lightning frames and theslabs, is the altar of the Niman Fraternity, thus leading to thebelief that there is an intimate connection between the two cere-monies. During the final performance a large variety of Kat-cinas appear, among them being several of those more sacredKatcinas seen only on rare occasions. The symbolic meaningof the ceremony is the return of those minor deities which havethronged the streets of Oraibi and other villages in the form ofmasked personages for the past four months. They nowreturn to their proper underworld. As the kivas were openedto the Katcinas in the Soyal ceremony, so now they are sealedup, and the Katcina season is ended.
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Ceremony of Flute Priests, Outside Village, Oraibi. Flute, Antelope and Snake Ceremonies Blue Flute. Antelope and Snake Dances Described in Detail HEN the golden sun of July has passed into theblistering dog-days sun of August and the peo-ple of the East are longing for rain, the Hopipriests are performing great ceremonies andmaking mighty medicine, the magic of whichshall overpower that of the gods of the fourworld-quarters, the clouds and the lightning,in order that copious rains may descend andrescue the needed corn crop. Fortunate is he who has beheldany of the great winter ceremonies, but more fortunate is hewho, fleeing from stifling city heat during August, has thecourage to make the desert journey, and who can afford to spenda few days away from civilization in a tent at the foot of oneof the mesas. The Hopi villages, which during the greater part of the yearare left in almost absolute seclusion, now begin to change; forthe tourist and the scientist throng the streets of these

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