The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-10-29
SOME IND IAN LEGENDS:
SuperstitfOn LedNthe Pima Tribe te
Give Up KoIygamy.

1NP AbAA
Give Up Eolygamy.
AT the time and for centuries after
the advent of the Pima Indians into
this country the practiced polygamy,
and this will show how a little SUPER
stitious belief will change a custom Of
centuries. AS the story goes, a short
time after the restoration Of the Sd
huaro (Hass-en), the whole tribe was
stricken with a strange disease. It
was, malignant in form and iidny
deaths resulted The great medicine
men and magicians from all parts Of
the country we're called together for
counsel to see by what means they
could propitidta M-kik-a-nini; the
death god. The magicians labored
long anu 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. I
have always noted that when comniu-
hicating their SuperStitiOuS beliefs;
when they wan ted to solicit or petition
any n of til cir 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 (Tas-o-
Tham.) Finally, on the afternoon of
the third day, IN 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:
"Whatever these animals do our pco-
pie must do likewise; they are spiritual
and have been sen by the great sui
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: Return to your homes and
then let each man consult with his
neighbor and be content with one
woman iowa for wife. That will APP
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 consented. 1t Is a known
id'b tudt tiS sIlluluuS SdNc up polSS X
amy long before the Jesuits arrived in
this country. But the abolition 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 fol
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
craft against her; She was arraigned
condemned and burned at the stake
Finally the medicine men got too as
sidiouS in the hunt after witches
There were too many human bontires
being made, so the people changed the
proceedings and burned several of TIT
medicine men. From that time to thu
present day, instead of accusing HUI
man beings of witchcraft, the presen
generation of Indians accuse and fine
witches in animalS-dOgs, COWS ant
horseS-and in many cases they fine
witches in inanimate things, such a
stones, rags and Sti~cks.-Tucson (AriZ.
Citizen.