The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1878-10-05
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The Pima indians Of Arizona.
uI.-BURIAL OF THE TEAD.
TContinued.1 I

with ropes, passing the latter around their
neck and under tie knees, and then draw
ing them tight until the body is doubled
up and forced into sitting position.
They dig the grave from four to FIVE feet
deep and perfectly round (about two feet
in diameter), and then hollow out to one
side Of the bottom of this grave q sort OF
vault large enough to contain the body.
Here the body is deposited, the grave is
filed up level with the ground, and poles,
trees, or pieces Of timber placed upon the
| grave to protect the remains from coy
! otes.
| Burials usually take place at night with
| out much ceremony. The mournets chant
| during the burial but signs of grief are
rare. The bodies of their dead are buried,
if possible, Immediately after death has
taken place; and the graves are generally
| prepared before the patients die; some
! times sick persons, Cor whom the graves
| had already been dug) recoter; in such
cases the graves are left open until the
persons for whom they were intended die.
Oper graves Of this kind can be seen in
several Of their burial grounds. Places
OF burial are selected some distahcc from
the village, and, if possible, in grove Of
mesquite trees. Immediately after the
remains have been buried, the house and
personal effects OF the deceased are burn
ed and his horses and cattle killed, the
meat being cooked as repast Tor the
mourners. The nearest relatives of the
deceased as sign of their sorrow remain
within their village for weeks, and some
times months; the men cut off about six
inches Of their long hair, while the women
cut their hair quite short: The Pima
men wear their hair quite long; many hav-
ing hair 81 inches III length, only the front
hair is cut straight across, so as to let it
reach the eyes The women, who also cut
their front hair like the men, part their
hair in tho middle, and wear it usually
long enough to let it reach a little below
the shoulders. The hair is their only
head-coyering. The men are proud Of
their long hair, braid it and comb it with
care, and to give it a glossy appearance
frequently plaster il with mixture of
black clay and mesquite gum. This pre-
paration is left on the hair for day or
two and is then washed out, when it leaves
also free from vernIir.
The custom Of destroying all the pro-
perty Of the husband when he dies impo-
verishes the widow and children and pre-
vents increase Of stock. The women Of
the tribe. well aware tliat they will be poor
should their husbands die, aud that then
they will have TO provide for their children
by their own eXertion5, do Lot care to
have many children and iufanticide. both
before and after birth; prevails to great
extent. This is not considered crime,
and cid women Of the tribe practice it.
A widow may marry again after Il years
mourning for her first husband; but hav- |
ing children, no man will take Der for
wife and thus burden himself with her |
children. Widows generally cultivate
small piece of ground, and friends and |
relatives (men) plow the ground for them. |
IV.-MARRIAGEs.
Marriages among the Pimas are entered |
into without ceremony, aud are never con-
sidered as binding The lover selects |
friend, who goes with him to the hut of !
the parents Of the girl and asks the father |
TO give his daughter to his friend. If the |
parents are satisfied, and the girl makes
no objection, the latter at once accom-
panies her husband to his hut, and remains
with him as long as both feel satisfied with |
the compact.
II, however the girl refuses, the lover
retires at once, and all negotiations are at
an end. Presents are seldom given unless
2 very Old man desires young bride
Wives frequently leave their husbands,
ana husbands their wives This act Of
leaving IS all that is necessary to separate
them forever, and either party is at lib-
erty TO marry some one else, only at the
second marriage the assistance of friend
is dispensed with. Instances of fidelity
and strong affections are known, but
many of the wives do not hesitate 10 sur
render their charms to men other than
their husbands, which, though possibly
disagfeeable to The husband, is not con
sidered a crime by the tribe Only the
worst Of the women Of the tribe cohabit
with the whites, but il is undeniable that
the number Of such women Is increasing
every year. But, though this has caused
a great deal of disease in the tribe, which
disease is rapidly spreading. still not one
Of the chiefs or old men of the nation ap-
pear to have thought it necessary to raise
Il warning voice or propose punishment to
the offenders, and prostitutes are looked
upon as inevitable, and are by no means
treated with contempt or scorn by the
Pimas. ModestY is unknown both to men
and women. Their conversation, even in
the presence of children, is extremely I
vulgar, aud many of the names of both
men and women are offensive.
Generally several married couple. witu ;