New-York tribune., 1874-08-15
CREMATION AMONG NORTH AMERICAN
INDIANS.
py PROF. JOHN L. LIE CoNTE, NJ. d.

INDIANS.
RY PROF JOHN l.. LIE CONTE, NJ ID.
The object of the present note is merelv 10
record the fact that among the many different he'no
OF pa ing the last tribute OF respect TO deceaseu ~
hers of the tribe which now pracnced by the H'o
races of North America, cremation is not entirely om
ted In December 1850, while ENJOYING the hoSpas ,n
of The detachment the ID T. g. Infantry, which at thC
time established Fort Yuma the military posi- h no
junction of the Colorado and ella Rivers IN calori;, "a;
awaited myself OF the kind offer OF Mr.. Jordan one oi
the of the ferry near the post TO max d" GA
plOration with him Of the river below the Junction.
Starting in small fiat boat, which ne generously SIC
rificed for tle purpose, with Yuma lnul' Wno na
feeble know ledge of Spanish as guide and ncIprclr'
we hoaed down with the current OF the river, naAme, &
by the aid of solar compass rough survey va & .
afternoon of the third day we arrived at te % t
lage OF Cocopa Indians, who are the next trn
of the Yumas Below thlt Village we Were ~ o h % rivcr
Spring tides widely oyern0wed me panhs vi % ,ni
and that II we went further the soitness OF tc ud
might seriously hinder our return. Inc ne1t & ady ~
learned from tue guide that an old man had ded ln
village near the east bank or the river ann thdt Se
body TO be burned Never having hearu @ o
this custom existed IN North Amerca, we eaueI,y AK i
ayailed ourselves Of the opportunity OF seeing tc
teresting ceremony crossing the stream ~ iI I over
boat, arrived after walk OF coupe oi hios ose %
the rverbOtom ana adjoining DESERT al 'nc i''o i'
short distance from the collection of matched huts
which composed the village, shallow dltch nu Dccn
quite Prosopis and strombocarpus) hari ana io uense
wood which makes, all western campl!SncIs h'ioM
"A very hot fire with little flame or smoke Alter shor
time the body was brought from the village suri1nue % %
by family aud other inhabitants aud ald on tue lo
IN.
had their faces disfigured with black paint ahd 'ne
females is the custom with other saVages' hlde ~
loud excamaOns OF grief, mingled win VIVA mignt w
suppo,ed to be funeral songs. Some smaller iagots
were then placed top few OF the personal eneGls W
the dead man added, and fire applied Atter Ilnc u
dense mass of dark cooed smoke aud the burning
of the body, which much einaclated, proCeeucI
RAPIDLY began be rather tired OF the spectacle anu
was about to away when one OF the Indians III ac"
words OF Spanish told me TO reman as thefe was So'
thing yet TO be seen. -,
An Old man then advanced from the assembage. with
n long pointed stick IN his hand Going near TO @ lno
cesve1y on the point of the stick direction Of the
sun, with his face turned toward tlat luminay reptt
ing the time some words Whlch uhuels T
from our guide was prayer for the happiness oI he
soul Of the deceased. After this, more iagos Wero
or four hours longer. did not remain as there Was
nothing more OF interest but learned on inquiry ln'
after The fire was burned out il the custom To COZ
lect the fragments which RENAME aud put thc
in terreota vase, which kept under the care oi
Tie ceremony OF taking out the ewes and Offering
them to seems to Indicate feeble remnant VI
the widoly-dfTused sun worship OF former times Du'
when introduced or whence derived could not learn
The subject appears TO an important one 10 derive
attention those who are so situated as 10 procure
further information. None of the COcOpds whom met
had sufficient knowledge OF Spanish enable me 10
OF their history or habits durng days that re-
manned among them. l however wrote down their
numerals and few other words which were SUFFICIENT
TO confirm the information aiterward obtained.
On subsequent journey along the CHA to Tucson ana
Sonora passed through the villages OF the COc0hari-
cOpas who. is We'll known to all or my hearers, l'e
u
with the Puas, the banks OF the ella was led pS
the similarity guage well Uy the resemblance
in name suspect mat TINS tribe was related 10 the
CocOpds of the Colorado. On lnquirlug was told oy
one of the chiefs, Francisco DuK, that they sl pre-
served tradition of the former connection or the TWO
tribes. Many years ago, i'll search OF more extensive
lands the CocOpds had separated from them ana gone
estvard settling banks of the Colorado below
the confluence OF the CHA. Inc MdrlcOpds are no"
completely identified in interests aud habits Win lne
PimJs and practiCcd cremation when they mrs.
entered the ella valley the usage has On5 snce become
obsolete. ~. ..,,.... .,
Visits were occasionally made TO their villages by
their kjnsmen from tlt Colorado aud IN fact au met
on my Journey small party OF COcopas returning from
the MarcOpa villages. Commercial Ih"lVVu,9F pc
tween the Indians these interior valleys aud those
of The California Gulf must have also taken place cen
turies ago when higher form OF semciyhz ltOn eX-
listed along the ella. For not many days aittrWdrd
while examining the famous Cacas Grandes, or Cdcts
Blaucas as they more usually called, lounu shells
of the genus Ollya and COnus which had Deen Drought
from tine Gulf Small ornaments OF turquoise sluiiltr
10 the variety found santa Fe, NcwNcAlco, Occd-
sionaiy occur, and greatly priced by the Indians
The address OF Prof lie Coute called out some lively
discussion rather the nature OF inquiry 10 what
each knew. There seemed to be unfamilirty with
this special topic OF Cremation among the North Amer
lean Tribes Tue Rev. Dr. Morris OF Baltimore wanted
the matter looked into saying that "sOmc OF our peo
pie who are becoming nnOculated with this blrbarous
custom Will yet appealing to these North American
Indians as examples Of what ought to do Laugh
teri Prof Haldemln and Prof. Butler also spoke
briefly giving the members the benefit OF their expert
enCe and reading.