USA > Arizona > History of Arizona, Vol. VII > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
283
THE PIMA.
"The Si'atcokam prize certain crystals very highly and claim to obtain them in the following manner: The person possessing the necessary power may be going along in some quiet place when all of a sudden a man will be seen ap- proaching. The stranger never reaches him but will be seen to disappear; then if the Si'atcokam searches about the spot where the man was last seen, he will find a transparent crystal, stone white, which contains a spirit that will aid him in all his subsequent undertakings and which will desert the stone at the death of the holder.
"The Si'atcokam treats a wounded man by sucking the evil from the wound. He shows a strand of green that resembles a roll of water plants about eight inches long. The wounded man sucks this crosswise four times and Si'atco- kam pretends to swallow it. 'This insures com- plete recovery.' "
CAUSE AND TREATMENT OF DISEASES.
"The Si'atcokam carries his staff in hand when called to treat the sick. He begins by singing the 'cure songs,' or causing them to be sung for the purpose of aiding him in correctly diagnosing the case. Then he puffs out cigar- ette smoke over the body of the patient in order that he may 'see' the disease. Most common ail- ments are attributed to certain definite causes and the diagnosis is easy. When he is well paid for his services he may sing more than one night before announcing the name of the disease. If he is too hasty he may 'see' the bear when it is really the deer that is causing trouble. How- ever, he cannot sing more than four nights ; then,
284
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
if he fails, he must call in a fellow-practitioner. The case of Sala Hina is an interesting and in- structive one and will illustrate very adequately these peculiar methods. Several years ago Sala carelessly ate some weed which poisoned her and she had barely strength enough to reach home. As close relatives are not allowed to treat a pa- tient, a neighboring medicine-man was called in. Her husband rolled a cigarette for the learned doctor, who smoked it, but however skillfully he spread the smoke cloud over the groaning pa- tient, he could not 'see' the cause of the trouble. Then another Si'atcokam was called in and a cigarette was rolled for him and he peered through the veil sufficiently to see 'something.' But he could not tell just what it was and ad- vised sending for another medicine-man who was a specialist in intangible shapes. Sala was suffering the greatest agony in the meantime. If she moved she felt 'full of pins inside.' Those about her expected her to die at any moment. Number three at length arrived and smoked his cigarette, blowing the smoke across the patient from a distance to dispel the unusually heavy darkness. He said he must have his gourd rattle and magic feathers brought before he could see clearly. Meanwhile the husband had brought in a fourth medicine-man. Number four then smoked a cigarette and pronounced the verdict of death. Poor Sala had been compelled to lie quiet to avoid the torture from the 'pins,' but her mind was active and she understood every word that was said in her presence. Deter- mined to do what they could, the last two arriv- als set to work singing. Number three sang four
285
THE PIMA.
songs, followed by four more songs from number four. Then number three sang four more, and so they alternated all night. Toward morning they put ashes into a cup of water, sweeping eagle feathers across the dish meanwhile. They then announced that they would get the evil out soon. Number four sprayed water from his mouth over the patient and declared that he had found her to be suffering from the presence of the horn of a horned toad in her heart. Falling on his knees beside her he sucked with all his might until he had removed the offending object. As it flew into his mouth it gagged him and he hastened to withdraw it. Calling for a piece of cotton he put the hot and burning horn into it and told the brother of the patient to throw it into the river. Then the two Si'atcokam sang twice and later in the day sang twice through their set of four songs for the horned toad. This faithful treatment brought about a recovery.
"Sala's brother fell ill of some throat disease over which the doctors sang, sucked, and smoked for a month before he died.
"It will be seen from the cases described that the songs play an important part in the treat- ment, and they are sung with endless repetitions. After the cause of the affliction has been decided upon, the songs of that animal or object are sung. An image or a part of the animal or ob- ject is pressed upon or waved over the part af- fected, and then the farce of sucking out the evil is gone through. Juan Thomas informed the writer that he had frequently concealed un- der his thumb nail the objects which he pre- tended to suck from his patients.
286
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
"Sometimes ashes are rubbed upon the skin of the sick person. No matter what the disease may be, the ashes are administered with light rubbing. No explanation could be given for this treatment. For any disease, also, pledgets of cotton might be burned on the skin, and as these were half an inch in diameter and two or three might be burned in one place, the effect must have been very painful.
"The female Si'atcokam never treated chil- dren ; they confined their labors to the treatment of abdominal troubles not necessarily peculiar to sex. They treated men for abdominal diffi- culties, and men treated women for all diseases.
"Payment is promised to the Si'atcokam when they are called in. It may be a horse, cow, some
wheat, a basket, or similar property. If he contracts to sing three nights and to receive a horse in payment, he will not receive the horse if the patient dies after he has sung two nights, but will receive some compensation. The death of the patient does not annul the obligation un- der any circumstances.
"In addition to the animals, birds, and rep- tiles that cause disease, the variety of human ail- ments and the fertility of the native's imagina- tion, necessitated the invention of yet other causes. These were sometimes superhuman, but only too often the tribe merely descended to the level of the African savage, and accused some medicine-man of the crime of causing disease. There would seem to be some reason in this if the medicine-man who had the case in hand were the one accused, but that was not the custom; it was a rival practitioner who bore the onus and
287
THE PIMA.
frequently paid the penalty with his life, as may be seen from the accompanying annals. It would seem that every epidemic of any extent that ever affected the Pimas caused an almost wholesale destruction of medicine-men. In in- dividual cases of malice on the part of the medi- cine-man the treatment is to sing the medicine song and afterwards to place four magic stones in a cup of water, taking out one at a time and holding it under the nose of the patient that he may inhale its power; then he must drink the water.
"If a person believes that a medicine-man has brought sickness upon his household he calls in another doctor to find the charm. . The one con- sulted takes four assistants and searches day and night until some object is found which they can safely assume was hidden in the vicinity by the malicious medicine-man. When found, the object must not be touched for fear of death, but the mere discovery renders it harmless to the person against whom it was aimed.
"Sometimes the medicine-man causes sickness by 'shooting' charcoal, made from the burned body of an enemy, into someone who does not notice it at the time, but whose body burns in con- sequence. If it is sucked out before it is entirely consumed, the charcoal loses its power and the patient recovers.
"The badger causes a severe throat disease, which, however, is considered to be of rare occur- rence. The remedy is to sing the badger song and to press the tail of the badger on the pa- tient's neck.
288
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
"The bear causes swellings upon the body, headache, and fever. The remedy is to sing the bear songs, of which there are several; the sing- ing is sometimes continued throughout the entire day. No part of the animal is used in the treat- ment. The bear is friendly to the Pimas. If a man meets one he must say, 'I'm red,' and then the bear will not touch him, though he is free to kill the animal.
"The black-tailed deer causes diseases of the throat and lungs. The remedy is to sing the deer song and to press the tail of the deer on the affected part.
"The coyote causes sickness in children ; some believing that he brings on dysentery when the mother eats melons before the birth of the child, others thinking that he causes rash and blisters on the baby's tongue. The remedy is to sing the coyote song and swing the tail of the coyote over the child.
"The dog, a very near relative of the coyote in Pimeria, also causes trouble for the children. When a child a month or two old is fretful and sleepless the medicine-man is pretty certain to diagnose the case as 'dog disease.' He does not treat it in any manner, but some one who knows the dog song is called in to sing, and as he sings he sways a stick that has some of a dog's vibris- sae tied to it, to and fro over the child.
"The gopher causes stomach trouble, particu- larly in children. The remedy is to sing the gopher song and to press moistened earth from a gopher hill upon the affected part. At Gila Crossing were obtained two small deerskin bags containing tufts of eagle's down and two or three
289
THE PIMA.
twigs that had been cut by a gopher. These were to be pressed upon the stomach of the child. "The jack rabbit causes open sores. The rem- edy is to sing the rabbit song, and during the singing to swing over the patient the tail of the hare to which the animal's vibrissae have been tied.
"The mouse causes constipation in children. This is cured by singing the mouse song, and pressing the tail of the mouse on the abdomen. If no prepared tail is available, a dead mouse is used.
"The ground squirrel of the mesas causes nose bleed.
"There are but four birds that cause disease. There appears to have been no conscious classifi- cation in the minds of the Pimas in attributing certain afflictions to the birds. These diseases are all of a different nature, and are similar to those assigned to mammals and reptiles.
"The eagle causes hemorrhage. The remedy is to sing the eagle song and to pass the down of the eagle over the part.
"The eagle is also blamed for the lice that find refuge in the hair of the Pimas. The remedy is to blow cigarette smoke over the head.
"The hawk causes hemorrhage in grown per- sons only. The disease is cured by singing the hawk song and passing the wing feathers of the bird over the patient. If one touches a hawk he must be secluded for four days.
"The owl throws people into trances and fits. They are restored by having the owl song sung while six owl feathers mounted on a stick are VII-19
290
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
swung over them. The cry of the small owl in the night is a bad sign. When the large owl ut- ters a sound resembling human speech, sickness may be expected.
"The vulture or turkey buzzard causes sores, especially syphillis, and sore eyes on the baby if the parent eats a dead animal just before the child is born. The remedy is to sing the buzzard song and pass the wing feathers of the buzzard over the child.
"A Gila monster, if killed by the father just before the birth of a child, causes the baby's body to become red and feverish. The remedy is to sing the Gila monster song. Such a disease must be of rare occurrence as no other treatment is prescribed.
"The horned toad causes rheumatism and hunchback. The remedy is to sing the horned toad song, and press an image of the creature upon the patient. If one accidentally steps on a horned toad he must tie a red string around its neck and let it go, saying, 'my blood eat.' This is to cause the subtle toad to eat the bad blood that may cause disease in the person.
"The large lizard is responsible for a fever in children, the most prominent symptom of which is the whitening of the skin. If any one who knows the lizard song is available he comes and presses an image of a lizard on the child as he sings. If not, a lizard is killed and fat from its body is rubbed upon the child.
"The rattlesnake causes kidney and stomach troubles in children. These are cured by sing- ing the rattlesnake song and pressing the parts
291
THE PIMA.
affected with an image in wood or stone of the rattlesnake.
"The bite of the rattlesnake is cured by suck- ing the wound every morning for four days. Others suck it one or two days, and also ligature the limb with horsehair, or draw a circle around it with charcoal to define the limit of the swell- ing. The Papagos and Mexicans use the plant Euphorbia marginata to poultice snake bites, and it is possible that some Pimas use it also, though the writer was unable to find anyone who knew of its being so used.
"While the rattlesnake is dreaded and, under circumstances previously mentioned, is regarded as possessing magic power, he occupies a far less important place in Pima thought than in that of the Hopis. It is said to be unlucky to come upon two rattlesnakes, one soon after the other, when engaged in searching for anything. If a child puts its foot through an olla head ring that is commonly left lying about the premises. the mother warns him that the rattlesnake will bite him. The same fate is threatened if he puts his foot into the mortar in which the mesquite beans and other articles of food are ground. The rat- tlesnake is accredited with wisdom that directs it to the place where the best mesquite beans are to be had, though why such a locality has any attractions for it was not explained.
"The turtle causes large sores on the body or cripples the legs. The treatment is to sing the turtle song and shake a rattle over the patient. The rattle is made by killing a river turtle and placing the body in an ant-hill until the ants have
292
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
thoroughly cleaned out the shell, which is then mounted on a handle, and some gravel put into it.
"A butterfly with striped wings causes inter- nal pains. The treatment consists in singing the butterfly song and pressing the body of the pa- tient with four or five images of the butterfly cut from deerskin.
"The worm, when found dead and dried, is ground up in the mortar, and the powder used to cure sores around the baby's mouth.
"One's teeth will fall out if he eats food over which some caterpillars have crawled.
"The nausea of pregnancy is caused by un- faithfulness on the part of the woman. It is cured by singing the proper songs and striking two sticks a foot long over the patient after- wards.
"The remolinos, or whirlwinds, that are so common in Pimeria, cause pain in the legs, but not swellings. The remedy is to sing the wind song and rub the limbs with the black gum of the Ocatilla.
"The sun may cause disease for which there would seem to be no special song. However, a small colored image of the sun with feather rays attached is used by the medicine-man.
"A captured Apache child might cause lame- ness in some member of the family by whom he was kept. It was cured by some one who had killed an Apache singing over the patient. Then the child must be sold to the Mexicans or Ameri- cans. It was also supposed that the touch of an Apache woman might cause paralysis.
293
THE PIMA.
"Piholt was once a man, but is now an evil spirit living in the east, and causing a disease which has its songs.
"The Nyavolt, an evil spirit, may induce a horse to throw his rider and injure him. The patient is cured by singing the Nyavolt song and swinging a pair of crossed sticks over the injured part.
"A certain disease of the throat is called wheita, and the same name is given to a stick made from mesquite root, which is thrust down the patient's throat four times and then passed four times over the heart to cure him.
"TcUnyim is an evil spirit that causes sickness in children. The most characteristic symptom is fretfulness. The TeUnyim song is sung and the child's body is pressed with a strand of hair taken in war from an Apache's head. The hair is cleansed and washed by some old person, then the ends are glued together with the gum of the creosote bush before it is ready to use. A'minâ sticks tied with bluebird and redbird feathers are also used.
"Kâ'mal tkâk, who was accustomed to assist the doctors, states that this name is applied to a disease of the throat which causes the victim to lose flesh. The treatment consists in placing A'minâ in an olla of water to soak while the doc- tor or his assistant blows through a tube, called the TeUnvim cigarette, upon the forehead, chin, breast, and stomach of the patient. The tube has a bunch of feathers attached called a-an kiatuta, and these are next swept in quick passes down- ward over the body. The A'mina are then taken and sucked four times by the patient, after which
294
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
the end of the bundle is pressed against the pa- tient's body, then laid flat upon his breast and rubbed. Finally, the assistant repeats the speech of SiU-U at the time when that deity restored himself to life, at the same time making passes toward the patient.
"Magic influence exerted by evilly disposed persons, especially medicine-men, may cause a particular ailment, called 'doctor's disease,' in the cure of which the slate tablets found in the ruins are believed to be most efficacious. The information was given that no marking was made on the slates; they were simply placed in a vessel of water and the patient drank the water.
"Sometimes the sickness of a child was be- lieved to be due to the fact that some person de- sired to take it away from its parents. If they went to the covetous one and accused him of the crime, the child immediately recovered.
"Navitco is an evil spirit adopted from the Papagos. His home is in the mountain called Papak, Frog. This spirit causes the knees to swell and the eyes to become inflamed. It may safely be inferred that this disease has been a common one, as it is the practice to treat several at one time in a somewhat more elaborate cere- monial than is usual in the treatment of other diseases. One medicine-man personates Navitco, another known as Kakspakam accompanies him ; both are masked. At a signal from Navitco, given by throwing cornmeal on the baskets, fif- teen or twenty persons appointed for the purpose sing the Navitco song, accompanied by the notched eagle feathers, until he has presumably drawn out all disease. He then throws away the
295
THE PIMA.
feathers. He is followed by Kakspakam, who seats himself before each patient to give him an opportunity to touch the mask and then the swol- len knees. When the singers have finished, they rub the notched sticks over their own bodies to prevent contagion. All concerned in the cere- mony must not eat salt for four days thereafter.
"The Navitco medicine-men also claim to pos- sess the power to bring rain.
"The treatment of a child afflicted with dysen- tery mingles the new order with the old in an in- teresting manner, combining Christian baptism with pagan sun worship and magic medical prac- tice.
"A man and his wife, who are close friends of the parents, come early in the morning and wash the baby. If it is a boy, it is taken up at sunrise by the man, who breathes upon a cross and holds it toward the sun four times. If it is a girl, it is taken by the woman, who breathes upon a medal and holds the object toward the sun four times. Whichever object is used is next passed in the form of the cross over the face and again over the body of the infant by both the man and the woman. Each then holds the child four times in his or her arms before handing it to the parents. A name is given the child by the godfather and godmother. No child except one thus ill, or another in the same family of a naming age at the time is ever chris- tened thus. The godparents must give the child some wheat or corn each year until it grows up, and the parents give a basket each year in return.
296
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
"Even horses may become sick through the evil influence of malicious medicine-men, who, it is said, 'shoot' live coals into them-coals that have been taken from an Apache fire. The remedy is of a similar character. A reputable medicine-man is called in, who diagnoses the case and decides from what direction the coal was 'shot.' He does not sing, but after smoking a cigarette and blowing puffs of smoke about the premises, and upon the horse, he determines the place to suck out the coal from the distressed animal. When he gets the coal into his mouth he makes a pre- tense of being burned by it, and immediately fills his mouth with water, after which he casts out the coal.
"The transparent trick of sucking a hair from the body is resorted to in veterinary practice in a manner similar to that pursued when treat- ing human ailments."
PAPAGO OF SAN XAVIER, ARIZONA.
297
PAPAGO AND SOBAIPURI.
CHAPTER XVII. PAPAGO AND SOBAIPURI.
HISTORY OF PAPAGOS-SOBAIPURIS ASK PRIESTS TO GO TO GUEVAVI-FIRST MISSIONS IN ARI- ZONA-DISCONTINUANCE OF MISSIONS-RE- MAINS AND RUINS OF SAN XAVIER, TUMA- CACURI, AND OTHER MISSIONS-WORK OF THE MISSIONARIES-DISCIPLINE OF THE INDIANS -DERIVATION OF NAME OF PAPAGO - HIS- TORY OF SOBAIPURI - LOCATION OF PAPAGOS -THEIR MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE - TRADI- TIONS AND MYTHS-MONTEZUMA - PAPAGO DWELLINGS.
The Papago, a Piman tribe, closely allied to the Pimas, whose language was the same. The tra- dition is that at one time they belonged to the same tribe, but split off for some unknown rea- son. They have always been friendly to the whites, however, and are the only Indians in Arizona that, when converted to the Catholic faith, remained Christians. The Maricopas and Pimas always held to their ancient faith, or, rather, creed. The Yumas at one time. as is shown in this history, invited the Catholic priests to settle amongst them, but shortly after- wards massacred them. The Moquis, probably the most politic of all the Indian tribes, were always ready to have their children baptized and join the Catholic church as long as the priests and the soldiers remained with them, but the Papagos were converted by Father Kino in
298
HISTORY OF ARIZONA.
the latter part of the 17th century, and to this day adhere to the Catholic faith.
According to Bishop Salpointe, in his "Sol- diers of the Cross," page 131, the Sobaipuris, who lived on the San Pedro, had come over a distance of two hundred miles to ask the priests to follow them to the place called Guevavi, where they had their villages. Their petition was granted. The missionaries followed them and founded for their tribe a mission which was given the name of the place. This mission, now abandoned for a long time, was the first estab- lished on the soil of Arizona. It was in the same region that the missions of Tumacacuri and San Xavier del Bac were afterwards founded along the course of the Santa Cruz river.
Bishop Salpointe, in reference to the building of these missions, and the discipline, religious instructions, etc., given to the Papagos, says :
"As stated before, it must have been between the years 1687 and 1690 that the mission of Gue- vavi, the first in what has become the Territory of Arizona, was founded by the Jesuit Fathers. Those of Tumacacuri, San Xavier, Tubac, Tuc- son, and others, were established successively as circumstances permitted where it seemed they would have good results for the Christianization and civilization of the natives. They were tried in different ways and at different periods, either by the wild Apache nation, or by those very In- dians for whom they had been founded. Priests were killed and churches destroyed; still the work was not abandoned. The perseverance of the missionaries, whether Jesuits or Francis-
299
PAPAGO AND SOBAIPURI.
cans, was above all reverses, as long as they were permitted to follow their vocation and work for the Indians. The losses were heavy on them, but they ever tried to make up for them by re- newed zeal and activity, and always succeeded to some extent at least until they were expelled from the country with the Spaniards by the de- cree of December 20th, 1827.
"With this decree and that of May 10th, 1829, by which 'Las Temporalidades,' the goods of the missions were confiscated, there remained no possibility of the continuance of the missions as such. By the expulsion of the Franciscans, the Indians remained without any protection. They could not but miss at once the moral and material support they were wont to receive from the Church, and, as a consequence, many of them, finding themselves very soon without re- sources, commenced to scatter here and there, and to return gradually to the customs of their for- mer Indian life. Then followed the destruction of the livestock left by the missionaries, and of the churches, except that of San Xavier, which was preserved by the Indians who did not leave their pueblo. San Xavier and Tumacacuri were the most important missions of Arizona at the time of the expulsion of the Franciscans. Their priests visited Tubac, Tucson, and other pueblos of the Papagos at stated times. The priests who administered in the mission of San Xavier since 1767 to 1827 were sixteen in num- ber, as far as we can see by the records left in the church. Of those who resided at Tumaca- curi, we have only the names of Baltazar Carillo, Narciso Gutierres and Ramon Liberos, who was
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.