Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-08-05
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SOME INDIAN LEGENDS.
Superstition Led the Pima Tribe to Give
Up Polygamy.

Superstition Led the Pima Tribe to Give
Up Polygamy.
At tho time and for centuries aft
er the advent Of the Pima Indians
into this country they practiced po-
lygamy and this will show how a
little superstitious belief will change
o custom of centuries AS the story
goes, q short time after the restora-
ton of the Sahuaro (Hass-en) the
whole tribe was stricken with a
strange disease. 1t was malignant
in form, and many deaths resulted.
The great medicine men and magl-
clans from all parts of the country
were called together for counsel to
see by what means they could pro
pitiate Mo kik-a-num, the death god.
The magicians labored long and
earnestly, but still the death god re-
fused to stay his hand.
It seems that fasting has had
much to do in the ritual of the
aboriginal. I have always noted
that when communicating their SUI
perstitious beliefs, when they want
ed to solicit or petition any one of
their gods, they always considered
it necessary to fast for a given pc
Rod. 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, privi-
legged 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 ante
lope appeared on low hill not far
distant. On their appearance the
chief magician arose and said to the
others: Whatever these animals
do our people must do likewise.
They are spiritual and have been
sent by the great sun god. While
the medicine men We're looking the
antelopes paired off and passed on.
AS the last pair disappeared the
chief magician again spoke He
said:
Return to your homes, and then
let each man consult with his neigh
Dor and be content with one woman
(ova) for wife. That will appease
and crafty our sun god. Continue
to prohibit plural wives and the
Death spirit will abide with US no
longer. :"
The people were very reluctant to
break up their polygamish homes,
but, being driven by fear of death,
they consented. 1t is 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 attrib-
uted to the influence of the Jesuit
fathers.
Strange as it may appear, witch
craft was neither known nor prao-
ticed 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 In
dams saw the old woman digging
holes in the sand with her hands.
That was sufficient evidence of
witchcraft against her. She was
arraigned, condemned and burned at
the stake Finally the medicine
men got too assiduous in the hunt
after witches There We're too many
human bonfires 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 human beings
of witchcraft, the present generation
of Indians accuses and finds witches
in animals-dogs, COWS and horses
and in many cases they find
witches in inanimate things, such
as stones, rags and sticks.-Tuoson
ca. To Citizen.