The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-09-03
SOME INDIAN LEoEhos
supsrssitisa Led the PinA Trfbs % oivs
Up PolyEamy.

Up PolyEamy.
At the time and for centuries aft
or the advent Of the Pima Indians
into this country they praoticed po-
lygamy and this viii show how a
little superstitious belief win change
a 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. It was malignant
in form, and many deaths resulted
Tho great medicine men and mAgi-
clans from all parts of the country
were called together for counsel to
see by what means they could pro-
pitiate No -kik-a-num, the death god
The magicians labored long and
earnestly, but still tho death god 70.
fused TO stay his hand
IL seems that fasting has bad
much TO do In the ritual Of the
aboriginal. / have always noted
that when communicating their su-
psrstihous beliefs. when they want
cd to solicit or petition any one Of
their gods, they always considered
IL necessary 10 fast for n given pc
riod. When they found they could
not subdue the evil death god by
magic, the magioians nRstened 20 an
open plain and there tasted for three
days. They were. however, privi-
legged 20 eat roots and drink water
carried from the river in tho tanned
stomach of an antelope and all the
time singing their songs 70 the sun
god, Tas-o-tham-
Finally, on the afternoon OF the
third day. an immense herd of ante
lope appeared on a low hill not far
distant On their appearance the
chief magician arose and said 20 the
others: "Whatever these animals
do our people must do likewise.
They are spiritual and have been
sent by tho great sun god. While
the medicine men were looking the
antelopes paired of and passed on.
AS the last pair disappeared the
chief magician again spoke. He
said:
Return TO your homes, and thon
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 20
|, break up their polygamish homes.
but. being driven by fear of death,
|, they consented. IL il a known fact
that the Indians gave up polygamy
long before the Jcsuits arrived In
this country, but the abolition Of the
practice has wrongfully been attrib-
uted to tho influence OF tho Jesuit
8 fathers.
= Strange as it may appear. witch
. craft was neither known nor prac.
ticed among the Indians prior TO the
, advent of the Jesuit fathers. The
, first martyr 20 tho witchcraft was
1 an old Indian woman who lived
\ alone with "A blind daughter about
4 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 Z
/, house the water sank. Where the
water disappeared some of the In
dians saw the old woman digging
holes in the sand with her hands
= That was sufficient evidence oi
witchcraft against her. She wa,
arraigned. condemned and burned n
|, the stake. Finally the medicin,
men got too assiduous in the hun
:, after witches There were too many
: human bonfres being made. so tn,
people changed the proceedings ans
burned several of the medicine men
From that time TO the present day
!, instead of accusing human being
of witchcraft. the present generation
of Indians accuses and finds witche
in animals-dogs. COWS and horse
:. and in many cases they fin,
= witches in inanimate things, sucl
g as stones, rags and sticks.-Tucsol
J. "a. To Citizen.