Music of Acoma, Isleta, Cochiti, and Zuñi Pueblos - Flutopedia.com

20 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Eut.t.. 165
ACOMA SONGS: PART 2
The foregoing songs, as stated, were recorded for Dr. M. W.
Stirling, who kindly made them available. The remaining Acoma
songs were recorded by the present writer.
HUNTING
SONG
The hunting customs of the Acoma center around the possession
of a small object called a hunting dog (cf. p. 94). Information on this
subject was supplied by James Paytiamo, a native of Acoma, who said
the hunting dogs, or fetishes, used by this pueblo were made by prehistoric
people and found by the Acoma. They are not natural
formations.^ Every successful hunter has a collection of these hunting
dogs, inherited from his ancestors, and when a young man succeeds
on the hunt he is presented with one of them. A ceremony accompanies
the presentation. If a young man does not receive one as a
gift he makes one for himself, hides it and goes to find it, taking a
witness with him. A hunting dog acquired in this manner is believed
to have the same power as one given ceremonially by an old man, and,
it is worn at all times, tied in a corner of the neckkerchief.
When a hunter has kiUed an animal he puts the huntmg dog beside it,
as though feeding the game to the dog. A prayer is offered at this
time.
The hunting song here presented is social in character and would
be sung at night, in the camp, when the hunters were getting near
the game. Such a song might be composed by the leader of the expedition
who would sing it alone, the other hunters dancing. Such
songs were sometimes composed by one man and sometimes by two
men working together. The accompaniment usually consisted of
beating upon a packet of stiff deerhide with a wad of sheephide
inside it. The packet was about the size of a smaU pillow and was
laid on the ground. One man beat upon it with an ordinary stick.
He knelt beside it on one or both knees, changing his position as
might be necessary for his comfort.
When a huntmg party returned successful, the leader might start
the same song and all the company would smg it with him as they
danced.
' A "hunting dog," or hunting fetish of the Zuni, was seen in 1939 at Wisconsin Dells, Wis. It was part
of a necklace of turquoise and shell owned by Blue Sky from Zufii, the husband of Margaret Lewis. Blue
Sky Inherited this necklace from his gi-andfather. The opportunity to see it was accidental. It had been
placed in the noonday sun and the writer chanced to be present when It was brought into the building.
Margaret Lewis (pp. 7, 103) said, "Turquoise dies if it is not put in the sun once in a while" and this necklace
had been placed in the sun "to give it life." Among the pieces of turquoise was a "hunting dog," recognized
at once. It was a natural formation, somewhat oblong in shape with a projection at one corner that suggested
a little, pointed head. In this "head" were two tiny black dots, supposed to represent eyes. The
size of the piece was about 1 inch by IJ^ inches. It was said "when a hunter attended a hunting ceremony
he carried such a 'hunting dog' in his bag, together with corn pollen and certain medicines believed to
attract animals, especially the deer."