Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1896-03-21
WITCHCRAFT\
As Practiced by the Indians
Subsequent to the Advent
of the Jesuits Fathers.
An Old Woman who Stopped the
Flow of the Santa Cruz River
Burned at the Stake.
BY ISAAC d. SMITH.)

AT the time ana Tor centuries 6fte
the advent of the Pima Indians into TIL
country they practiced polyga an
this will show how q little superstition
belief will change a custom, of centurie
as the story goes-a short time after tn
restoration of the Sshuaro (HAss-EN
which has been previously mentioned
the whole tribe was striker with
strange disease. It was malignant II
form and many deaths resulted. Th,
great medicine men and magicians frou
all parts of the country we're called to
gether for counsel and to see by wha
means they could propituate Mo-KIK-A'
NUN, the death God. The maeiciani
labored long and earnestly, but still tn.
death God refused to stay his hand.
1t seemed that fasting has bs6
much to do in the ritual of the Aborig
ansl. l have always Noted that wher
communicating their superstitious be.
liefs, that when they wanted to solicit
or petition, any one Of their many gods,
they always considered it necessary to
fast for a given period. When they
found they could not subdue the evil
death God by magic the msgicians
FASTENED to an open plain and there
tasted for three days. They were how
ever privileged to eat roots and drink
water. carried from the river in the
tanned stomach of an snteIo. e, 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 appear
d on q low hill not far distant. On
their appearance the chief magician
arose and said TO the others "wbstever
those ANIMALS do, our people mu.t 90
likewise, they are spiritual and have
been sent by the great sun God" While
medicine men were looking the antelopes
paired off, and passed on. As The last
pair disappeared from sight the chief
magician gain spoke. He said "Return
10 your homes and then let each man
consult with his peighbor, be content
with one woman (ovAl for wife, that
will be appease and crafty our sun
God. Continue to prohibit plural wives
and the death spirit will abide with US
40 longer" The people we're very
reluctant aud disliked to break up their
poiygamish homes, but being driven by
fear of death they consented.
1t is known fact that the Indians
gave up pulygamm long before the Jesuits
arrived in this country. But the aboli-
tion OF the practice has wrongfully
been attributed to the influence of The
Jesuit fathers.
Strange as it, may appear witchcraft
was neither known nor practiced among
the IndIans prior TO the advent OF the
Jesuits fathers. The first martyr to
witchcraft was an old Indians woman
who lived alone with blind daughter,
d bout ten miles south from San Xavier.
She Was put to death for stopping the
water running down the Santa Cruz.
A short distance from thus old wo-
mans house the water sank. Where
the water disappeared some of the In
Iians saw the old woman dig holes in
the sand ith her hands. That WAS suf-
ticIent evidence OF witchraft against her.
She was arraigned, Condemned and
burnt st stake. Finally the medicine
ter witches. There we're too many hu-
man bonfires being ma e, 90 the people
tue proceedings and burnt sew
erel of their medicine men. From that
time to the pr, sent day, instead of ac-
cusing human beings OF witchcrsft, the
present generation of Indlans accuse
and find witches In animsls-doRe, cove
horees-and in many Gases they find
witches 10, insnimate things, such az
stones. rags and eticks.
10 1869 the Papaeos had failure of
crops that winter. They became short
Of food and the same year the Pimas
had considerable small pox amongst
them. The PspsRos came to the. Gils
villages to beg wheat.as they were in
great need of food. The Pfmss divided
their store of wheat. but the amount the
Pspsgos received was not sufficient for
their wants, 80 month later they re-
turned for more. They were accom-.
panied by two of their best medicine
men. The Papagos Notified the Pimss
that If they would consent to give them
a st ted number of sacks of wheat. their
medicine men would catch the small
pox witch and destroy her, and all the
sickness would disappear. After long
talk on both sIdes, the Pimas agreed, |
aud stacked up the wheat in payment |
Of the doctors bill when the witch was
caught and identified. The Pspsgo |
men, or doctors, worked faith |
fully for five days when, on the afternoon |
Of the fifth day, they located the witch in |
the roof of an old ram da just to the |
rear of the store at Casa Blanca, on the |
There must have been at |
least 500 Indians in the crowd when the 1
witch was captured, there was q great /
rush to get a glimpse at the horrid thing /
Ind my own curiosity was equal to that |
Of the Indians, but TO my surprise and /
a. tonishment the supposed WITCH who |
had been hunted with much noise, wild 1
and barbaric interest for five successive |
days was nothing more than a piece Of |
sahuaro rio, about 10 inches long, and to
which had been tied piece of red fan
nel TO represent a human head. From
the center dangled strip of black rag,
while the arms were represented by q
couple of sahuaro splnes stuck In elthe'
side of the stick. Her capture caused |
much rejoicing in the village. Then |
peculiar ceremony which 1 |
omit here, and later the witch was &C. /
curely bound in bundle OF erams hay,
carried to the top of the Sacaton noun
tain and placed in q cave. The mouth |
Of this cave was closed by stones and a |
large quantity OF cholla was scattered |
around.
The witch is still there for every year |
since her Imprisonment the wiley Papa
go has successfully played on the credul- |
ty of his brother Pimss. The three win
ter months are frequently seasons of
prvation among the improvident Papa |
gos living off the reservation, and de-
n ands for food are invariably made on
their more fortunate knsmen on the
ella. In case of refusal threats to pro-
woke and release the witch, set her on
fire and burn up the whole world never
fails to open the rginery door. l have
talked with many Indians and have yet
to see the first one " no does not believe
IN her ter ible power
Thus In brief is the witchcraft Of the