Cultural Reference

The White Corn Maiden is one of the younger Corn Maiden sisters of Zuni tradition, representing the direction of the east and the white color of the milk one drinks at dawn. When the Corn Maidens came from the underworld, they had no corn. Two witches dwelling under a pine bough pavilion inquired about this and gave each sister a differently-colored ear of corn to coax into growth.

Prominent in the origin lore of the Zunis, Shiwanokia, or Mother-Moon, is the main consort of the god Shiwani. Known as the priestess of fertility, Shiwanokia created principle beings from her own saliva. Rubbing her hands together, suds overflowed to form the mountains and seas, rivers, deserts, forests, fauna and flora of the earth.

For the A'shiwi or Zuni, the word "shiwani" means priest, and usually references a rain priest. Shiwani or Shiwona is also the husband of Shiwaonokia, and one of the five original deities who created the stars and heavens after making rainbow bubbles from spittle.

The ethnologist Frank Cushing was initiated as a Shiwani Priest of the Bow. As the Bow Priests are the only priests assigned to the secular problems of war and governance, Cushing hoped to gain an understanding of both sacred and secular affairs. The secular and religious do blend in Zuni society as the governor is chosen from the priesthood.

Genesis is translated from the Hebrew word Bereshit, meaning "in the beginning." Viewed as a patriarchal history, this first book of the Old Testament and the Torah relays the well-known creation myth of both Judaism and Christianity. From darkness, God created the earth and heavens full of light in six days. God breathes life into the first man from the dust of the earth, creates woman from his rib and places them in the Garden of Eden. Genesis is composed of many of the most dramatic of bible stories and includes the story of Abraham and his sons, Noah's ark and the Tower of Babel. The narrative of Genesis is most significant when contextualized as part of the broader material unit that makes up the first five chapters of the Bible known as Torah or Pentateuch.

The Chief Priest of the Bow is a Zuni ceremonial group leader, a high-ranking member of the religious hierarchy, and the Society of the Bow is one of the many Zuni ceremonial societies. There are many priests with differing functions in Zuni society, composed of the Sun Priest and priests who represent the four cardinal directions. This sacred body appoints the Bow Priests, who will hold their position for life. The Bow Priests are responsible for secular problems and executing the decisions of the sacred priests. The Chief Priest of the Bow is analogous to an army captain in guiding the Bow Priests to resist external aggression and settle internal disputes.

In the past, the Chief Priest of the Bow led war parties in carrying out the duties of protecting the tribe. The Bow Priests recommend the governor and are responsible for conveying the cane of office upon appointment and the Chief Priest of the Bow often serves as the pueblo governor.

Although macaws are not native to the American southwest, they are an integral part of Zuni culture. The Macaw Clan is one of the sixteen clans of the Zuni totemic system considered the all-containing central or mother clan. Macaws and other birds have great symbolic significance in many areas of traditional Puebloan life, and, until 1946, a live macaw was kept for the benefit of its feathers. Cushing reports that most of the significant leaders of the Zunis come from the Macaw Clan.

This is the written Torah, the sacred text of the Hebrews, and signifies the first five chapters of the Old Testament written by Moses. Often written and preserved on prayers scrolls and read aloud, the Torah or Pentateuch forms the basis for Jewish communal life and religious tradition. Considered a covenant with God, the scrolls define a set of moral and religious laws and obligations.

This biblical canon of Christians and Jews is composed by many authors over the course of centuries, and is based on the 39 canonical scriptures of the Hebrew bible. The work is designed for the instruction of values and morality, and relates the story of the nation of Israel before the coming of Jesus Christ. Judaism views the historical text as a record of God's promises, beginning with the covenant of Abraham. For Christians, the Old Testament is a prophecy promising the advent of Christ the Savior.

In the Navajo tradition, before a singer, or medicine man (called a hataałii in Navajo), is requested to perform a healing ceremonial, a hand trembler, or ndilniihii, usually a woman, will diagnose the source of illness. Through prayer, concentration, and sprinkling of sacred pollen, her hand will tremble and pinpoint the source of an illness, which then determines the proper ceremonial cure.

A hand trembler is one of three different types of diagnosticians among the Navajo who may be consulted to diagnose the cause of an illness and recommend the proper ceremony to cure it. Star gazers and listeners are the other two types of diagnosticians. Any of these specialists may be consulted for advice about sickness, identifying witchcraft, dreams, lost items, or any unusual happenings.

In the Navajo tradition, curing ceremonials are chantways used to remove the sources of diseases. For the Navajo, ceremonies are conducted on an individual basis, rather than the systematic ceremonial approach employed by their neighbors, the Pueblos. Navajos can either request a singer (hataałii) to perform a certain ceremonial to cure an ailment, or they can go to a hand-trembler (ndilniihii), star gazer, or listener to diagnose the source of the ailment. Once the source of the ailment is known, the healer can then recommend a proper ceremony for the cure. These ceremonials can include singing, prayers, sand painting, sweats, and emetics among other elements.