The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-08-22
SOME INDIAN LEGENDS.
Superstition Led the Pima Tribe to-
Give Up POlygamy.

Superstition Led the Pima Tribe to-
Give Up Po1ygamy.
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 custom Of
centuries. AS the story goes, a short
time after the restoration of the Sa-
huaro (Hass-en), the whole tribe was
stricken with, a strange disease. It a
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 to see by what means they
could propitiate M-kik-a-num, the
death god. The magicians labored
long and earnestly, but still the death.
god refused to stay his hand.
1t seems that fasting has had much,
to do in the ritual Of the aboriginal j.
have always noted that when commu-
nicating their superstitiOus beliefs,
when they wanted to solicit or petition
| any one Of their 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 magicians fastened to an,
open plain and there tasted 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 Case
Tham.) Finally, on the afternoon of
the third day. an immense herd of an
telope appeared on a low hill not far
distant. On their appearance the chief
| magician arose and said to the others:
4 &is"W hateVer these animals do our peO-
j pie must do likewise; they are spiritual
4 and have been sent by the great sun
I god. While the medicine men were
looking the antelopes paired off and
passed on. AS the last pair disappear
ed the chief magician again spoke:
He said: "Retuln to your homes and
then let each man. consult with his
neighbor and be content with one
woman iowa )for wife. That will ap-
pease and crafty our sun god. Con-
tinue to prohibit plural wives, and the
death spirit will abide with us no
longer" The people were very re-
luctant to break up their polygamish
homes, but, being driven by fear Of
death, they conse nted. 1t is a known
fact that the Indians gave up polyg--
amy long before the Jesuits arrived in
this country. But the abslition of the
practice has wrongfully been attrib-
uted to the influence of the Jesuits
fathers
Strange as it may appear, witchcraft
,, was neither known nor practiced
among the Indians prior to the advent
of the Jesuit fathers. The first martyr
to the witchcraft was an old Indian
\, woman who lived alone with a blind
daughter about ten miles from San
Xavier. She was put to death for
stopping the water running down the
Santa Cruz. A short distance from
this Woman's house the water sank.
Where the water disappeared some of
the Indians saw the old woman dig
ging holes in the sand with her hands,
That was sufficient evidence of witch
f craft against her. She was arraigned.
condemned and burned at the stake.
4 Finally the medicine men got too as
sidious in the hunt after witches
There were too many human bonfres
being made, so the people changed the
proceedings and burned several of the
Z medicine men. From that time to the
present day, instead Of accusing hui
8 man beings Of tWitdhcraft, the present
I generation of Indians accuse and find:
I witches in animals dogs, COWS and
i horses-and in many cases they find
witches in inanimate things, such as.
:. stones, rags and sticks.-Tucson (AriZ)
j Citizen. l5g