Page 239 - TheHopiIndians

MESA FOLK OF HOPILAXD 231

similar shape contained respectively salt and sugar.
Honani'a wife liberally sweetened her coffee and gave
the baby a taste. In a moment his hitherto placid
face assumed the contortions of a Hindu idol, and he
squirmed and yelled. His mother, not knowing what
was the matter, shook him and punched his fat stom
ach to find out. Then she took a sip of coffee and
screamed out, "Ingiwa!" (salt). Her reproachful
look aeemed to convey the idea that someone had de
signs on the baby. A few words of explanation soon
put her mind at rest on that score, and smiles were
again restored. When she heard that several of the
party had been at times sufferers from those same ma
licious salt, and sugar boxes, she enjoyed the joke huge
ly; fellow sufferers are always appreciated the world
over.
There is at least one open and above-board infidel
at the East Mesa. Chakwaiua is his name, and he is a
Tewa of Hano. The old nature faith in this pueblo
does not show many signs of weakening, so that were
Chakwaina less in possessions and in consequent influ
ence, he might have been brought to book long ago
for his sins. Chakwaina says "the kachinas are no
good. ' ' Perhaps the poor people who so depend on the
crops for their existence believe devoutly in the gift-
bearing kachinas from ignorance or selfish motives,
while Chakwaina. who has sheep, floiir, and money,
feels independent of any spiritual aids; this is the old
story. Chakwaina undoubtedly feels able to take care