Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-11-10
NEW SERIES, NO. 2O2.
AHlUHO, ss,O0 at the years. End.
The Pimo Indians.

The Pimo Indians, living on the Gila river in
Arizona, are very interesting tribe. Our
government has lately distributed among them
supply of farming tools, cotton, goods and
trlnkets, as reward for the many favors they
have shown to emigrants and the United States
troops passing through their country. They
are eminently peaceful tribe, and are in good
condition to receive the arts of civilized life and
instruction in Christianity. The Providence
Journal publishes some facts in relation to them
obtained from gentlemen of that city who visit
ed the Pimos with the American boundary COM
mission -
=" owing to the infrequency of rain, the soil
cannot be cultivated in any of the northern
states of Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, or por-
tions of Texas, without artificial irrigation;
hence, it is only near streams where there can
be any agriculture. These Indians, therefore,
to render their lands productive, have cut canals
and bitches through them and by constructing
dam across the river, are enabled to conduct
the water over them whenever and wherever it
is necessary By this means they produce large
crops. They raise chiefly Indian corn, wheat
and very small variety ofwhite beans. Pump
klns, squashes, melons and onions are also cult
waited. Their corn and wheat they grind by
hand on stones, the women being the chief
laborers' and make good quality of bread.
The men labor only in the field hoe their lands,
plant and gather their crops; although when the
harvest is ready to be gathered, the women
all turn out, and with the men help to bring in
their crops This is all done by means of
particular kind of framework or basket stran.
ped to their shoulders and backs, upon which
the corn, wheat and other products are piled,
and then carried to their houses Here the
grain is threshed out and stored away in grana-
ries.
The most interesting fact connected with
these Indians is their cultivation of cotton.
which they spin and weave into blankets and
into such materials as they require for garments
Except IN the winter, they wear nothing but
blanket folded, or strip of cloth around their
loins, which hangs down to their knees The
upper part of their bodies, their legs and arms,
are bare but in the head dresses they make
most show. Caps, turbans, feathers and trink-
cts are here displayed in great profusion, in the
arrangement of which they show much TASTE
The implements used for spinning and weaving
are OF the most primitive character They also
make an excellent kind of pottery, which is
used for all domestic purposes, carrying and
holding water, cooking, dishes for eating from,
&C., &c. Their baskets too, are superior to
those made by the earlier Indians.
The color of the Pimos is more of dark
brown than the reddish hue of the eastern tribe
of Indians. They use little paint on their faces
and bodies, and care less for trinkets and use
less ornaments than Indians generally. Unlike
many of the Pueblo, or semi-cvlized tribes of
New Mexico, the Pimos have never been Christ
ianized, yet they know of the Christian God,
and manifest strong desire to have the doctrines
of Christianity taught them. None of our
aborignes are so deserving the attention of
phianthropists as these innocent people. A
few mechanics, such as blacksmiths, carpenters,
and workers in leather, together with farmers,
to instruct them in the trades to which they ap-
, pertain, would do vast deal for theirladvance-
ment and preservation. Missionaries and school
masters are equally needed. With the wild,
nOmadic tribes little or NOTHING can ba ac
complished towards their civilization, but these
agricultural tribes, already acquainted with
some of the arts, are just in the condition to
receive and be benefited by our civilization.