81. HOW THE COYOTES HAD A KATCINA DANCE. 1

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

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At Squash Seed Point (Batángvoc Toika), lived the Hâ'ââ Katcina. North of there lived the Hotóto Katcina. At Pûtátokaovi lived the Söhö'ncomtaka Katcina, north of the village lived the Red Eagle (Palákway) Katcina, and at Katcínvala lived many Katcinas. At Íshmovala lived the Coyote and his wife. The Coyote used to see the Katcinas come and have their dances and processions, and one time said to his wife: "We are going to do that, too. People like to see this."

In the morning the Coyote went out, and standing on the roof of his kiva he called out to his friends, the Coyotes, that they should assemble in his kiva. Soon they came from come from all sides, many of them. When they had all assembled he said to them: "I want to 'overtake' something, too, like these Katcinas do. To-morrow we shall have a Katcina dance. so you go to the village, and if you find something in the rear of the village such as feathers, pieces of skin, etc., bring it here." They all declared themselves willing. The Coyotes thus went out and went around the village hunting for pieces of skin, feathers, pieces of gourds, especially the necks of long necked gourds, and brought all these things to the Coyote's kiva. Here they sewed up kilts, made bunches of feathers for head-dresses, etc., thus working all day. Each one prepared a costume of a Katcina that he had seen. During the night they slept there.

In the morning one of the Coyotes went to the place where the Hâ'ââ Katcina always dresses up; two others to the place where the Hotóto dresses up: one to the place of the Söhö'ncomtaka; one dressed up like the Palákwayo at the place where that Katcina lives; and a number of others went to Katcínvala. When all were ready the Hâ'ââ shouted four times and then went northward where he was joined by the two Hotótos, then by the next ones, and these by the Palákway, and finally by the Katcinas at Katcínvala. They all then went to the Coyote's house at Íshmovala. The Coyote and his wife, who lived here had not gone along but had remained with their children. Here the Katcinas now had a dance.

The Oraíbi happened to have a Coyote hunt on this day. Some of them went southward, others northward, from the village, forming a large circle, and then proceeding towards the village. But they found no Coyotes because the latter were all assembled at Íshmovala. While they were still dancing, the Oraíbi came upon them and at

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once closed in upon them. When the Coyotes saw that they were surrounded they began to run, trying to escape, but as they had masks on they could not see so well, and many of them were killed at once; others threw down their masks, but as they had their Costumes on they could not run fast and so were also killed. Only the family that lived at Íshmovala, and who had not put on costumes or masks, escaped. When the Hopi had killed all the Coyotes they laughed at them and went to the village, being happy over their successful hunt.

Footnotes

215:1 Told by Kwáyeshva (Oraíbi).