The Red Cloud chief., 1879-02-06
sCS. OR<I ~.

The Indians - the grra. Southwest.
~ wcrr the natives II ancient Mexico
and Peru. ar. all un.royshipers. They
have various titles for their gsd. aad
worship him under various symbols;
bat IL IL the sun. the great givsr ~ life
and health, that IA w~orship~d every
where rs the supreme power. The
moon and the stars are. however. con-
sid.rcd gods II lower order. nad sub
j.ct, In some mysi.riou. way, Ia the
sun. aud Ia have control. In . limited
manner. owe the rain, winds. storms,
and weather In general. They all
ave their s~orcsrerr. or medicine men.
who are held In some dcgree % sa-
pcrstitious " by tho people. In
sickness they use incsntafions u vari-
ous kinds. aud administer herbs ~ dit.
fereDt classes. many u which. n. W..
know from experience. are very effect.
I've IN giving relief. II n medicine man
undertakes ~ cure q patient, he must
do 80; for u the patient dies. tbs doctor
dies also, unless indeed tbs doctor
prophesies that ihe patient will die. for
then. " the patient RECEIVERS. the medi.
cine man IL Killed NJ being n liar aud
not understanding his b~usincss. We
have seen place. where such "a law or
custom would work well at the present
time.
All savages are naturally very super
stitious. and the Indians ~ Arizona are
~ exception Ia the rule. Indeed. we
are inclined Ia believe they are. IL pos
siblo, more supcrstitious than the ma
tivcs II other parts u the land. The
worship 81 these Indians IL different
among the various 4 ibes. We have
seen among the Hualapals what among
civilized people would be called family
worship. At the first peep Of day the
band would sit ar squat ON the top of -
small hill facing the east. and raise n
most dismal sort II q howl. Then the
patriarch NJ the band would speak n
few words. or utter what we supposed
Ia be an invocation, In n most solemn
tone Of voice. Then another howl
would arise from those around him.
Then the old man would say a few
words more. At this time the sun mp
pearcd above the horizon. and all
prostrating themselves with their faces
Ia the east, raised n joyful shout, which
was kept up until the sun had entirely
risen above the mountain.tops. after
which they went back Ia the rancheria.
The Pueblo Indians worship the u
under the name ~ Montczuma. They
also believe In inferior gods. and par
ticularly In evil spirits. They claim
that many ages ago. before they came
Ia the land where they now reside,
Montczuma visited them and led them
through the wilderness To the land
where they have ever since lived. They
also believe that II II his intention 10
return again Ia them nj some future
day. and make them n great and pros
porous people.
The Nnvajocs do not believe In Mon.
texuma. They worship what they call
the Great Father and Great Mother.
The Great fathe. resides where the sun
rises. and IL the author Of all that
Ia bad, while the Great Mother lives
at the setting sun. and Is the giver
Of good aud the protector Of those who
do right.
Tho Mohaves worship n god they call
Matevil. whom they say once dwclled
among their people. and that he will
n day return. They also worship
and fear nm evil spirit they call Ne
wathic. and who inilicts dire calamiti.s
on them 1t times. All these Indians
fear To go abroad ut night. M the devils
and evil spirits are then Mt their work
according to their belief.