Page:Journal of American Folklore vol. 12.djvu/89

 THE JOURNAL OF

AMERICAN FOLK-LORE.

Vol. XII. — APRIL-JUNE, 1899. — No. XLV.

��HOPI BASKET DANCES. 1

In the April number of the "American Anthropologist" for 1892 the late J. G. Owens and the author described a Hopi basket dance celebrated at Walpi in September of the preceding year. It was shown in the article that this basket dance was a public exhibition closing a series of secret rites which extended over nine consecutive days and nights, and that the whole festival was called the Lalakonti. In a strict use of terms this public exhibition is not a dance, but rather a posturing of the body in rhythm, with songs, during which baskets were carried by women or thrown, as gifts, among the assem- bled spectators. Subsequent studies have shown that this festival is observed in four other Hopi pueblos, and it can now be defi- nitely stated that there are four variants, three of which occur at the Middle Mesa and one at Oraibi, in addition to that described at Walpi. The pueblos Sitcomovi and Hano are known not to have a Lalakonti, so that we have reliable information regarding the dis- tribution of this ceremony.

Each one of these five pueblos has an altar in one of its kivas in connection with the secret rites. I have already described this altar at Walpi, and in the present article shall add an account of that at Cipaulovi. Nothing has yet been recorded concerning the other Lalakonti altars or the rites performed about them.

The month of October, 1898, was a particularly good one for the study of this festival in all pueblos except Walpi, and while unable to attend all these exhibitions I noted the dates of these variants, which are given in the following list : 2 Micofiinovi, October 23; Cunopavi, October 24; Oraibi, October 26; Cipaulovi, October 29.

1 These studies were made while connected with the Bureau of American Eth- nology. The beautiful photographs from which the illustrations of the Oraibi variant were made were taken by the accomplished photographer, Mr. G. L. Rose, of Pasadena, California.

2 The dates here given are those of the final day of the festival, on which the public exercises are performed. This day is called totokya, as in other great ceremonies.

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