The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-08-07
Ghrlemnrraf-Sts f.,
SOME INDIAN LEGEYDs
now SUPERSTITION LED THE
TRIBE TO OWE UP poLya,
Tucson lArizl Times.

Tucson tAriz) Times.
At the lime and for ccn,urios
the advent of the Pima Indians ,s.'
this country they practiced polvr,m m'
and this will shuw how a llttle ''
stiti"us belief will change IA custom :,
centuries. As the story yoes. ,s1,
time after the restoration Of ma
luraro diass-cn). which has been n,s
vlously mentioned, the whole ,sis.
was stricken with a strange disco
1t was malignant in form and m.s.
deaths resulted. The great mcdis,"'
men and magicians from all nr,s :,
the country were called Together =.
counsel to see by what means ,Lo.
could pr"pitiatc Mo-kik-a-mum ~,
death kod. The magicians l,l.,,.s
long and earnestly, but still the de,,h
god refased to stay his hand.
ltsecmcd that fasting has had mu.A
to do in the ritual of the aboriginal =
have always noted that when commn,
nicating their supcrstitious hlio,,
when they wanted to solicit or ne,i,;,n
any one Of their gods, they ALWAYS con.
sldcr II necessary to fast for a pive,
period. When they found they rould
not sutdue the evil death god by m,v,.
the magicians iastcned to an on"s
plain and there tasted for three dars
They were. however, privileged 10 "a,
roots and drink water carried from IN.
river in the tanned stomach or NJ,
antelope, and all the time Singing thei,
songs to the sun god CTas.o-Tbaml
Finally, on the afternoon Of the third
day. an immense herd OF antcloM IN
pcarcd on a low hill not far d,stan,
On their appearance the chief mani.
clan arose and said to the others.
whatever these animals do. our mn.
pie music do likewise; they arc spiritual
and have been sent by tho great sun
god" While the medicine men were
looking the antelopes paired on and
passed on. AS the last pair disappear.
cd the chief magician spoke agMn:
He SAID: "Return to your homes
and then let each man consult with
his ncighbOr and be content with ono
woman (0va) for his wife. That will
appeasc and crafty our sun god Con.
tinue to prohibit plural wives and the
death spirit will abide with us no long.
err" The people were very reluctant to
break up their polygamish homes, but
being driven by fear of death, they
consented. 1t is a known fact that the
Indians gave up polygamy long before
the JcSuits arrived in this country.
But the abolition OF the practice has
wr0ngfully been attributed to the In.
luencc of the Jesuit Fathers.
Strange as 1t may appear, witchcraft
was neither known nor practicM
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
Il blind daughter, about ten miles from
San Xavier. She was put to death fr
stopping the water running down the
Santa Cruz. A short distance ffpm
this w0man'S house the water sank.
Where the water disappeared someM
the Indians saw the old woman dix.
ging holes in the sand with her hands.
That was sufficient evidence Of witch.
craft against her. She was a%rraigned,
condemned and burned at the stake.
Finally the medicine men got too as
siduOus in the hunt after witches.
There were too many human Wn.trs
being made, so the people changed the
proceedings and burned several Of the
medicine men. From that time to the
present day, instead Of accusing hu'
man beings OF witchcraft. the present
generation Of Indians accuse and ma
witches in animals-dogS, COWS ana
horses and in many cases they ind
witches inainanimatc things, such Is
stones, rags and sticks.