The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-19
THE MOJAvE INDIANS.
Among Their Traditions They Have o.
Concerning the Flood.

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Among Their Traditions They Have One
Concerning the Flood.
The Mojaves have number of ira
ditions concerning the origin of the
world, which date back many CEN
turies, though how many we have been
unable accurately to ascertain, but the
traditions seem clearly to point to the
existence of these clans in prehistoric
times. Some of the old members of the
Mojave tribe relate, with much awe
they still cling, regarding a rugged
mountain-peak north OF the val
ley, known as Ghost mountain.
The story says that many years ago,
before the Indians came to this region,
a large volume of water covered this
part of the earth temporarily; that
there was a small boat or raft which
many days, saving the lives Of small
number of persons, the rest being
drowned. At last the waters receded,
and the little craft rested safely on the
highest ledge of Ghost mountain, and
not a brave among them will ever visit
the spot, nor are they willing to have
their white neighbors explore the
mountain, believing that should any
one ever reach the spot where the
boat rested he would suddenly be
stricken with death. Among other
strange beliefs held by the Mojaves, is
one resembling that of the East In
dams, of the transmigration of souls.
1t teaches that the evil spirits which
have inhabited the body during life are
transmitted at death to the body OF
some bird or animal. The physician at
the Herbert Welsh industrial school,
being summoned on one occasion to at
tend a young Mojave woman who was
very i'll with a fever. was told by the
young woman's husband that his
remedies would do no good; his wife
could not recover. as she had, some
These superstitions and traditions
are, in many cases, serious obstacles to
the establishment of and success of the
hospitals at the government schools
and agencies, where the people may be
intelligently treated and supplied with
proper remedies; many of the more con-
sentative preferring the methods en-
ployed by the native medicine men" to
those of the white physicians. Some of
the more advanced, however, are glad
to avail themselves of the treatment of
the government physician. Soon after
the eSta blishment of free hos
pital in connection with the in
dustrial school mentioned above,
young girl who had been given up 10
die by the medicine men," was
brought distance of eighteen miles
through the broiling sun of an Arizona
summer, upon an improvised stretcher
carried by two men, TO receive medical
treatment at the hospital She was
carefully treated, aud nourishing food
prepared for her, but she was very i'll
On the day after her admittance TO the
cred around the building and began
the death wall" all efforts to quiet (
them proving Intellectual They de-
manded that the patient be given them |
in order that they might take her 10 |
the river bottom, where wood was more |
plentiful and her body eoald the more /
easily be disposed Of when she should /
die. The situation called for con
siderable frnnsss ca the part of /
The superintendent and tho phyxi- /
clan, whe resolutely refused to comply /
with the demand Of the impsrtunats
relatives, telling them that they could /
have their kinswomaa back whss abe /
or wovld be given her body
n case Of her death Finally, this ar
being satisfactory, the
leath-wa1 ceased and the crowd dis I
oersed, leaving the yeung woman 70 re-
over undisturbed by the visions Of
ne funeral-pile and its barbareus fes-
ivities. IN ten days tire pstient was
delivered TO her relatives cured. and
Ter recovery has been potent factor
n Weakening their faith Ia the old
rites Of The medicine men,
nd breaking down. 70 a degree at
east, some Of the strongest barriers 70
utilization and eohghtsnment-StAnd-
I'd