Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights: Being the Myths and Legends of the Pimas of Arizona

by J. Wm. Lloyd; Comalk-Hawk-Kih

And Ee-ee-toy, being her relative, went to her home and said: “Your grandchildren want some amusement and are going to have dances now every night and would like you to come.”

And she replied: “You know very well I do not care for such things. I do not care to come.”

And Ee-ee-toy returned and told the people she did not care to come to their dances, tho he had invited her, but he would think of some other way to get her to come where they were, that they might kill her.

And he went a second time, and told her the people were going to sing the Hwah-guff-san-nuh-kotch Nyuee, or Basket Drumming Song, and wanted her to come. But she said: “I have heard of that song, but I do not care to hear it. I care nothing for such things, and I will not come.”

So Ee-ee-toy returned and told of his second failure, but promised he would try again. And in the morning he went to her and said: “Your grandchildren are going to sing the song Haw-hawf-kuh Nyuee or Dance of the Bone-trimmed Dresses Song and they want you to come.” But she said: “I do not care for this song, either, and I will not come.”

And Ee-ee-toy told of his third failure, but promised the people he would try once more, and when the morning came he went to Hawawk and said: “Your grandchildren are going to dance tonight to the song which is called See-coll-cod-dha-kotch Nyuee,” (which is a sort of ring dance with the dancers in a circle with joined hands) “and they want you to come.”

And she said: “That is what I like. I will come to that. When is it going to be?”

And he said: “It will be this very night.”

And he went and told the people she was coming and they must be ready for her.

Hawawk got ready in the early evening and dressed herself in a skirt of soft buckskin. And over this she placed an overskirt of deerskin, fringed with long cut fringes with deer-hoofs at the ends to rattle. And then she ran to the dancing place; and the people could hear her a long way off, rattling, as she came. And they were already dancing when she arrived there, and she went and joined hands with Ee-ee-toy.