*** **[DESCRIPTION]{.underline}*: *STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THE O**'**ODHAM
CULTURE BY PARTICIPATING IN A VARIETY OF EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES THAT
INCLUDE AN O**'**ODHAM LANGUAGE LESSON AND ROLE-PLAYING VARIOUS DAILY
TASKS SUCH AS FOOD PREPARATION, TATTOOING, GAMES, MAT AND POT MAKING***

*** **[Subjects]{.underline}***:

Language Arts, Social Studies, Art.

*** **[Materials]{.underline}*:**

** Master Pages I - 5 through I - 12**; index cards; construction paper;
scissors; clay or playdough; mesquite beans or corn, grinding stone (see
"Food Preparers," page I - 4); washable paint or markers; Pima Stick
game (see "Game Players," page I - 4).

*** **[Preparation]{.underline}*:**

Part I - Review Background Information and instructions.

Part II - Gather craft materials.

*** **[Time]{.underline}*:**

Part I - One or more sessions. Part II - Two or more sessions.

***[Vocabulary:]{.underline}***

*metate, mano*

Red

1\. [Papago and Pima ]{.underline}

[Indians of Arizona]{.underline}

2\. Native American

Games

3\. Tape: O'odham

Language Lesson

4\. Pima Stick Game

***[O ]{.underline}**[']{.underline}**[ODHAM VILLAGE
LIFE]{.underline}***

***[BACKGROUND INFORMATION:]{.underline}***

The people who lived along the Santa Cruz River when first contact with
the Spanish was made were called the *Sobaipuri*, a branch of the
O'odham or Pima people. Their agrarian culture revolved around the
resources of the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Rivers, farming corn, beans
and other crops while augmenting their diet by hunting and gathering.
Due to disease, intermarriage and deaths from Apache attacks, the name
*Sobaipuri* is no longer heard. Their descendants, however, live on and
are known as the O'odham people.

The present-day O'odham living in close proximity to the Santa Cruz
River are the Tohono O'odham (Papago) or desert people, and the Akimel
O'odham (Pima) or river people. Because the *Sobaipuri'* were a
river-based culture, it can therefore be assumed that their traditions
are closer to the northern river-based Akimel O'odham people. However,
traces of both the desert (*Tohono*) and river (*Akimel*) cultures
influenced the *Sobaipuri*.

The O'odham nation consists of various smaller tribes of sub groups,
including the above mentioned Akimel and Tohono groups. Their native
language and customs are similar yet distinctly different giving each
branch its own uniqueness. They believe themselves to be descendants of
the ancient Hohokam civilization or "those who came before." Their
culture is rich and colorful and many participate in traditional
activities such as those described in this unit. Keep in mind, however,
that the information provided is based on the past *Sobaipuri* people
and not the present-day O'odham. Although there may be similarities, the
present-day O'odham is distinctly different than the ancient

culture as described in this unit. 1**[Naming an
O]{.underline}[']{.underline}[odham Child]{.underline}**

"Before a child is a year old, it is named by friends of the parents in
the following manner: the friends, or godparents, accompanied by other
visitors, come for four successive mornings and seat themselves just
before sunrise on the ground before the house in which the child lives.
First one and then another of the company holds the child for a moment,
but if it is a boy, the *kompalt*, godfather, repeats a ceremonial
speech, passes his hands across the limbs of the infant and holds it
aloft to receive the first rays of the rising sun; then he bestows upon
the boy the name by which he will be known throughout life, however,
nicknames are common and often supplant the baptismal name to some
extent. If it is a girl, the *kamult*, godmother, delivers the speech
and gives the name. The parents in their turn reciprocate by naming the
children of the couple that acts as godparents to their own.

"From the age of ten until about the time of marriage neither boys nor
girls are allowed to speak their own names. The penalty is bad luck in
losing arrows in the case of the boys, in losing the *rsalika* or
*kiaha* stick\*[^1] in

the case of girls.

"The name of a deceased person is not used; he is alluded to as the
brother of So-and-So. The word or words in the name, however, are not
dropped from the language."**[ ]{.underline}**

**[Tattooing]{.underline}**

"The O'odham practiced both tattooing and body painting. They usually
tattooed both sexes during their adolescence between fifteen and twenty
years old. Designs were first outlined in charcoal and the skin then was
pricked with needle points dipped in wet charcoal. (Needle points were
made by using two to four Prickly Pear or Saguaro thorns tied with sinew
and cotton.) They usually tattooed men along the margin of the lower
eyelid and with a horizontal line across the temple. Generally they made
a band design across the forehead with a traverse series of lines or. .
. short vertical zigzags. Like the men, they usually decorated the women
along the margin of the lower eyelid. Two vertical lines pierced on each
side of the chin ran from the top to the lower portion of the jaw. On
occasion these two lines were connected under the lip with a band
design. Painting was used to emphasize the tattoos."\*[^2]

**[Games]{.underline}**

Games were traditionally separated by sex. It was a cultural taboo to
mix sexes. Only boys played the Pima Stick Game. The same would apply
for an activity like food preparation, done only by women. Both sexes,
performed duties such as tattooing and pottery, although most likely
males

and females worked apart. 2

***[ACTIVITY]{.underline}***

**[Part I - The O]{.underline}[']{.underline}[odham
Language]{.underline}**

In this lesson, students are introduced to O'odham culture through a
language lesson learning to speak a few words in O'odham.

\- Speaking only O'odham and not English, introduce the following
greetings on **Master Page I - 5**: ***Shup Pi Mas Ma? ***(How have you
been?)*** Shap Kaij?*** (What do you say?); ***Pi has*** (Nothing
really), ***Shap chegig?*** (What is your name?) ***John bun chegig.
***(John is my name.) ***Thvum nui***. (I'll see you again.)

\- Introduce O'odham language phonetics to your class (see** Master Page
I - 5**) In doing so you will also be reviewing English (all O'odham
consonants are the same as in English) and Spanish (vowels and
pronunciation are the same as in Spanish except the "e" which is
pronounced as you would the "u" as in put).

\- **Master Pages I - 6 and I - 7** contain a list of O'odham names. Use
the list to create individual name tags or cards and distribute them,
one per student. Keep a copy of all names as a teacher reference.

\- Take roll-call in the O'odham language: 1) Explain to the students
your intention to take roll-call in O'odham. 2) Teach the response,
"*haichug*" (present). 3) Call out each name in O'odham. Each student
then replies by saying "*haichug*" and repeating their new O'odham name.

\- Ask students to practice their new O'odham name with other
classmates. Consider expanding this lesson to teach counting and colors
(see** Master **

**Page I - 5**). 3

**[Part II - O]{.underline}[']{.underline}[odham Village
Life]{.underline}**

\- Introduce aspects of O'odham village life by teaching at least two of
the following activities. Consider setting up stations and have students
rotate.\*[^3]

***[(Maintadam)]{.underline}*[ Mat Makers]{.underline}**- *Traditional
activity for females*. Use the instructions on **Master Page I - 8**.

***[(Haha]{.underline}**[']{.underline}**[um Nuatodam) ]{.underline}*[
Pot Makers]{.underline}*[ ]{.underline}***- *Traditional activity for
both male and female*. Use the instructions on **Master**

**Page I - 9**.

***[RESOURCES AND ]{.underline}***

***[REFERENCES]{.underline}***

[Of Earth & Little Rain]{.underline}, Bernard Fontana, U of AZ Press,
1989; [Hohokam Arts and Crafts]{.underline}, Barbara Gronemann,
Southwest Learning Sources, 6440 E. Presidio Rd., Scottsdale AZ 85254,
1994; [Papago and Pima Indians of Arizona]{.underline}, Ruth Underhill,
The Filter Press, P.O. Box 5, Palmer Lake, CO 80133, reprinted 1979;
[Pima Indian Legends]{.underline}, Anna Moore Shaw, U of AZ Press, 1968;
[The Pima Indians]{.underline}, Frank Russell, U of AZ Press, Reprint
1975; [A Pima Remembers]{.underline}, George Webb, U of AZ Press, 1959;
"Shelter in the Pimeria Alta," 1993 Pimeria Alta Historical Society
Calendar; [Singing for Power]{.underline}, Ruth Underhill; [The Upper
Pima of San Cayetano del Tumacacori]{.underline}, Charles C. Dipeso, The
Amerind Foundation, Dragoon AZ, 1956.

***[( Cheposig) ]{.underline}*[Tattoos]{.underline}** - *Traditional
activity for both male and female.* The O'odham practiced both tattooing
and body painting. They usually tattooed both sexes during their
adolescence between fifteen and twenty years old. Painting emphasized
the tattoos. Using washable paints or markers, have each student paint a
classmate's face following the patterns shown in **Background
Information** and on** Master Page I - 10**.

***[(Chichvidam)]{.underline}** *[Game Players]{.underline}*-***
*Traditional activity for males.* Have students play *Ginz*, the Pima
Stick Game. The game is in the Encounters Box, or you can create your
own game with craft sticks, using the instructions on **Master Page I -
12** as a blueprint. 4

***[(Hihidodam)]{.underline}*[ Food Preparers]{.underline}**-
*Traditional activity for females*. Allow students to take turns
grinding beans or corn. The traditional food was mesquite beans, which
can be gathered easily around the Santa Cruz Valley in late summer and
early fall. Corn is also traditional. The O'odham groumd their grain on
a *mano* and *metate* (mortar and pestle) which are still commonly used
in Mexico. If not available, find a flat rock to use as a *mano*
(pestle) and use concrete or pavement for the *metate* (mortar). (Do not
use any of the finished product for consumption!)

***[Enhancements]{.underline}***

¨ Use the O'odham recording from the **Encounters Box**, red section, to
teach the language lesson. The recording includes readings of "An
O'odham Language Lesson," **Master page I - 5**, the story "When the
Three Quail Stole Coyote's Fat" (text in** Encounters Box**), and
O'odham songs. 3

¨ Select a small area on or near school grounds to create a ramada or an
O'odham (*Ki*) shelter.

¨ Consider expanding the O'odham language lesson to include counting and
colors. (See **Master Page I - 5**)

Have students make their own name tags including a sketch of their
O'odham name.

¨ Invite an O'odham person from San Xavier, Sells or the Gila River
Reservation to speak to your class or school.

**[AN O]{.underline}[']{.underline}[ODHAM LANGUAGE LESSON]{.underline}**

**[Greetings]{.underline}**

How have you been? (usual greeting)

***Shap ai Masma?***

What do you say? (informal greeting)

***Shap Kaij?***

Nothing really.

*** **Pi has.***

What is your name?

*** **Shap chegig?***

John is my name.

*** **John bun chegig***

How have you been this evening?

*** **Shap ai masma ida hudunk?***

I'll see you again. (used like goodbye)

*** **Tom **ei.***

**[Vowels]{.underline}**: All vowels are the same as in Spanish except
"**e"** which is pronounced like the "**u"** as in P **U** T. All of the
consonants are the same as in English.

**A** F** A** R

**B** **B**OY

**CH** **C H **A T

**D **HEA**R**D

**E** P **U** T

**F** **F** I X

**G** **G** E T** **

**H** **H** A T

**I **R **I** N G

**J** **J** A C K

**K** **K** I T

**L** **L** O O K

**M** **M** OM** **

**N** **N** I N E

CANYON

**O** B** O** A T

**P** **P** I G

**S** **S **U N

**SH** **S H** O P** T** **T** O M

**U** M **U** T E

**V** **V** A T

**W** **W** A K E

**Y** **Y** O U

**[Numbers]{.underline}**

1\. ***Hemako***

2\. ***Gook***

3\. ***Vaik***

4\. ***Giik***

5\. ***Hetasp***

6\. ***Chudp***

7\. ***Veva**'**ak***

8\. ***Gigi**'**ik***

9\. ***Humukt***

10\. ***Vestmam***

How old are you? *He'ekia ap ed ahidag?*

I am *two* years old! *Gook ani ed ahidag!*

**[Colors]{.underline}**

Red s-***veg***

Yellow *** **s-oam\****

Blue ***s-cheedag\****

Green ***s-cheedag\****

Black ***s-chuk***

White ***s-toha***

Gray ***s-koomag***

Brown ***s-oam\****

Orange ***s-oam\****

Like this ***hab mas ma*\***

That is white. ***Heg *'*o s-toha****.*

This is red. ***Id *'*o s-veg****.*

\*Many colors have the same name and are distinguished by comparisons.
For Example: "This shirt is orange like the sun**."* Ida kamish **'**o
ye s-iam tash vepo***. "It is orange like this." ***Goa s-oam ehta ith
vepo.***

**Permission granted by Southwest Learning Resources to reprint from
*[Hohokam Arts and Crafts]{.underline}*. For purchase of this book,
contact Southwest Learning Center at (602) 991-0341.**

**Permission granted by Southwest Learning Resources to reprint from
*[Hohokam Arts and Crafts]{.underline}*. For purchase of this book,
contact Southwest Learning Center at (602) 991-0341.**

[^1]: \* The *kiaha* was a carrying basket \-- a very important personal
    item for a girl. The "stick" referred to is a part of the basket
    which supported the basket for loading.

[^2]: \* [The Pima Indians]{.underline}, Frank Russell, Univ. of AZ
    Press, Reprint 1975.

[^3]: \* NOTE: The Ranger-led "Encounters" classroom presentation (See
    Unit IV) involves having students role-play O'Odham people in a
    village setting which they will create. Students, therefore, will
    need to be somewhat knowledgeable of each of these activities.