Corn Grinding Song of Zuni
In this, called CORN GRINDING SONG, but more of a dance than some others so called, there was a chorus of eight men, among them two flutists and one drummer whose thumper was a hoop of willow.
Enter fourteen women dressed in black with square white shawls, each bearing a large decorated pot on her head. They form an arc at the back, with the chorus in a group at one side, and do not dance.
Enter four girl dancers, each carrying a small brush in her right hand, and a basket tray under her left arm.
A blanket is spread on the ground by the chorus, and a grinding stone laid for each girl. She kneels at her stone, puts her basket alongside, and in rhythm to the music sung by the chorus, sweeps off the stone, places her brush at the right side of her stone; then grinds. At the end of the strain, each sweeps the grindings into her basket.
After a time, the girls rise with brush in right hand, stand in line, then pivot in short steps to right, to left, to right, to left, etc.
Suddenly they pick up the baskets, and exeunt. The pot-bearers and the chorus follow.
The song is simply a part of the everyday life of the Indian maiden, the song she sings when she grinds the corn. Often she invites other maidens to grind corn with her; and they sway to the rhythm of the song. Sometimes, the youths play the flute and drum, or sing to the grinding of the maidens.
The following dance has been developed out of these suggestions: Corn Grinding Dance of Woodcraft.
