Among the Pueblo Indians there are certain rituals and ceremonial
observances connected with the construction of the houses, but in the
Navaho system nothing of a ceremonial nature is introduced until the
conclusion of the manual labor. Usually there are enough volunteers to
finish the work in one day, and by evening everything is ready for the
dedication. The wife sweeps out the house with a wisp of grass and she
or her husband makes a fire on the floor directly under the smoke hole.
She then goes to her bundles of household effects, which are still
outside, and pours a quantity of white cornmeal into a shallow
saucer-shape basket. She hands this to the _qasçíŋ_, or head of the
family, who enters the hogán and rubs a handful of the dry meal on the
five principal timbers which form the _tsá¢i_ or frame, beginning with
the south doorway timber. He rubs the meal only on one place, as high up
as he can reach easily, and then does the same successively on the south
timber, the west timber, the north timber, and the north doorway timber.
While making these gifts, as the proceeding is termed, the man preserves
a strict silence, and then, as with a sweeping motion of his hand from
left to right (_cabĭkégo_, as the sun travels) he sprinkles the meal
around the outer circumference of the floor, he says in low measured
tones--
_Qojónli_ _coġán_
May it be delightful my house;
_Cĭtsĭ´dje_ _qojónli_
From my head may it be delightful;
_Cĭké¢e_ _qojónli_
To my feet may it be delightful;
_Ciyá¢e_ _qojónli_
Where I lie may it be delightful;
_Cĭkígĭ ¢áltso_ _qojónli_
All above me may it be delightful;
_Cĭná ¢áltso_ _qojónli_
All around me may it be delightful.