Arizona republican., 1896-03-19
INDIAN SUPERSTITION. How a Custom of Centu-
 ries Was Changed.
For a Long Tin1s the Indians
 Practicad PcIigamy.
Ar Old Wonnan Fut to Death For Stopping th Flow of the Santa
 Cruz River.

CruE RlV6T.
 Isaac D. Smith, in the Tucson Git fen gives the following account of the and witchcraft of the Pima Indians:
 At the time and for centuries after the advent of the Pima Indians into this country they practiced polygamy, and this will show how a little super stitious belief will change a custom of centuries, as the stoy goes-a short time after the restor ation of the Sa halaro (Iass-en) which has been pre- viously mentioned+che whole tribe was stricken with a strange disease. It was malignant in form and many deaths resulted. The great medicine men and magicians from all parts of the country were called together for counsel and see by what means they could propiltiate mo-kik-a-num, the death God. The magicians labored long and earnestly. but still the death God refused to stay his hand.
 It seemed that fasting has had much to do in the ritual of the aboriginal. I have always noted that when con- their super5titous beliefs, that when they wanted to solicit or petition any one of their many gods, they always considered it necessary to fas. for a given period. When they found they could not subdue the evil death God by magic the magicians hastened to an open plain and there lasted for three days. They were, however, privileged to eat roots and drink water carried from the river in the tanned stomach of an antelope, and all the time singing their songs to the sun god, (Tas-o-Tham).
 Finally on the afternoon of the third day an immense herd of antelope ap- peared on low hill not far distant. On their appearance the chief magi- clan arose and said to the others ''Whatever those animals do our peo- pie must do likewise, they are spirit ual and have been sem by the great sun god" While the medicine men were looking the antelopes paired off and passed on AS the last pair dis appeared the chief magician again spoke. He said: Return to your homes and then let each man consult with his neighbor, be content with one woman (ova) for wife, that will ap- pease and gratify our sun god. Con- tinue to prohibit plural wives and the death spirit will abide with us no longer" The people were very reluc- tant to break up their polygamish homes, but being driven by fear oi death they consented.
 It is a known fact that the Indians gave up polygamy long before the Jesuits arrived in this country. But the abolition of the practice has wrongfully been attributed to the in f1uence of the Jesuit fathers.
 Strange as it may appear witchcraft was neither known nor practicet among the Indians prior to the advent of The Jesuit fathers. The first mar tyr to the witchcraft was an old In dian woman who lived alone with { blind daughter about ten miles iron San Xavier. She was put to death fol stopping the water running down the Santa Cruz.
 A short distance from this old wo. mans house the water sank. Where the water disappeared some of the In. dians saw the old woman dig holes ir the sand with her hands. That wa: sufficient evidence of witch hcraft against her.
 She was arraigned, condemned ant burnt at stake. Finally the medi- cine men got too assiduous in theil hunt after witches. There were toC many human bonfires being made, sc the people changed the proceedings and burnt several of the medicine men. From that time to the presenI day, instead of accusing human be- ings of witchcraft, the present genera tion of Indians accuse and find witche! in animals-dogs, COWS and horses and in many cases they find witches 1T inanimate things, such as stones, rag: and sticks.
 In 1869 the Papagoes had a failure of crops that winter. They became short of food and the same year tht Pimas had considerable smallpo1 amongst them. The Papagoes came t! the Gila villages to beg wheat as the! were in great need of food. They werj accompanied by two of their best med icine men. The Papagoes notified tn, Pimas that if they would consent t give them a stated number of sacks 0 wheat their medicine men would catcl the smallpox witch and destroy her and all the sickness would disappear After a long talk on both sides tn Pimas agreed and stacked up tn
 wheat in payment of the doctors bil when the witch was caught and iden tifed The Papago medicine men 0 doctors, worked faithfully for full, five days when, on the afternoon of tn fifth day, they located the witch in tn roof of an old ram da just to the req of the stores at Casa Blanca, on tn