b. the Bear Clan

The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com

b. THE BEAR CLAN

This clan had gone south from the sípahpuni. They had with them the Â'ototo Katcina. They soon found the Young Corn Ear (Píhk'ash) people with the Áholi Katcina, who wanted to join them. So the Bear clan chief took them along. They stopped at a place and here had a good crop because they had the two Katcinas with them. The next year they came to a clear stream. In all they stopped ten times before arriving at the Americans, where the sun rises. Here they stopped four years. Their children learned a little English. The land being scarce, the Americans told them to go west and hunt land for themselves, and if anybody would be bad to them (núkpana) and cause their children to die, they (the Americans) would come and cut the Núkapana's heads off. This was told them, because they (the Americans) had been told that down in the old home there had been Pópwaktû (sorcerers, etc.). So they traveled westward, found the Pueblo, but no good land that they could get. So they finally arrived at Shongópavi, where some people lived, and there they settled down.

One time the people saw that the chief, Machíto, held a sweet corn-ear between every two fingers, at the same time eating from the other hand. Corn was very scarce at that time, so the people spoke to him about his greediness, at which he got angry and left, taking with him the Â'ototo and Áholi. Hunters later found them at a rock, now Bean Spreading Place (Báhpu-Möyanpi), where there is still a stone on which there is some writing called Machítûtûbeni. Machíto left his wife at Shongópavi, also his people, who then formed

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the Shongópavi Bear clan. When the hunters found him they informed the people at Shongópavi.

Some went there to get them back, but Machíto would not listen to them. Then his wife went to him but he would not listen to her either. So they left him. Machíto took a big stone and went with them for some distance to make the landmark between Oraíbi and Shongópavi. The people said several times: "Put it here." But he would not listen until arriving at a place called "Ocápchomo," where he placed it, thus making a landmark between the fields of the Shongópavi and his own.

Then Machíto and the two Katcinas went up the Oraíbi mesa where they remained. Later the Spider people arrived. Machíto asked about their wanderings and they told him. He wanted to know why the corn would not grow although they had the Flute cult. The Spider clan chief accused the "North Old Man." Machíto then said: "All right, you may live here, but as your cult does not seem to be effective, you watch the sun for me, and when he has arrived at his south limit, you tell me, and we shall have the Soyál ceremony. Also your pü'htavi does not seem to have been good, so I want you to make my kind of pü'htavi." ¹

After the matter had been settled between Machíto and the Spider clan chief, the latter's people came up. Among these were also the Lizard clan, to which the Sand clan is related. These names were given to people while wandering. One would find and see something, perhaps under peculiar circumstances, and he called after it. The Lizard people were also asked what they knew and when they said the Maraú cult, they were also permitted to stay, but were requested to co-operate in the Soyál ceremony. For that reason Pungñánömsi, who is of the Bear clan, and village chief, now makes the pûhu (road) in the night of the Maraú ceremony from the nátsi at the south end of the kiva towards the rising sun.

The Rattle-snake (Tcû'a) clan also came with the Spider clan to Oraíbi, but it is not known how or where this clan became a part of the Spider clan, The Badger people understand medicines, hence they prepare the medicine--for instance, charm liquid--for the Flute, Snake, Maraú, and other ceremonies.

Another Badger clan and the Butterfly (Pówul) came from Kíshi-wuu. These brought the Powámu and Katcina cult.

The Divided Spring (Bátki) clan came from where the sun rises.

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They came to the village of Oraíbi and arranged a contest at Muyíovatki where each planted corn, the Blue Flutes sweet corn, the others, Wupákaö, over which they played the whole day. The sweet corn grew first, and so the Blue Flutes to this day go to the village in processions, etc., first closing the well (batñi) on the plaza. Later the Drab Flutes (Masítâlentu) had to throw their meal, mollas, etc., from a distance to the warrior (Keléhtaka) of the Cakwálâlentu, who put them into the well in the booth for them.

Footnotes

29:1 It is thought that this refers to the mutual celebrating of the Soyál ceremony, in which all are supposed yet to participate. Machíto had brought the Soyál altar and cult with him. The Píhk'ash People had Áholi Katcina and the screen (Ómawn) now used in the Soyál and the corn Ceremonies. The Â'ototo has the water and rain.