The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1898-10-29
Land Of the / Papago J
A Strange People Occupying a Little
Known Portion of Our Domain.
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In a country so vast as ours, so di-s
Jersified in topography and ranging in
latitude from the sub-tropics to almost
Arctic SHOWS, affording, also, every
possible climatic variation in its flora
and fauna, there must remain many
localities destined by their inhospitable
environment to continue practically
unknown save to the plainsman and
pioneer. Representatives. Land of
Sthe Papagov-is one of those uninvit-
Ing spots that hold out no Inducements
to settlers, and are seldom visited save
by the explorer and the ethnologist.
The name conveys no sense of locality
to the mind of the general reader, to
whom it is terra incognita. It is a
term bestowed by the priestly pioneers
of Mexican colonization upon the arid
regions beyond the Sierra Madre
Mountains, district south of the Gila
river, in what is now the territory of
Arizona and Sonora, bounded on the
southwest by the Gulf Of California and
1on the south by that ill-defined region
known as Seriland. It has an extent
of over 10000 square miles, or about
the area of New York or Iowa. The
larger part of the district lies in Mex
leo, though most of the aboriginal
population is gathered in the northern
portion, above the southern boundary
of Arizona.
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Papagueria is, perhaps, the most arid
region on the continent The surface
slopes ito the southwest from the Sierra
Madre, and as the vapor-laden air
drifts from the Pacific and the gulf
over the sun-parched land it is heated
to dryness. Consequently the average
rainfall in Papagueria falls short of
five inches. The greater part of the
district is practically desert, though
animal and vegetable life maintain a
feeble existence. The high Sierra is
scantily clothed with pines; at lower
levels thorny thickets Of oak and
chaparral occur sparingly. In the val
leys the sdeep-rooted mesquite dots the
surface, while cacti are abundant
among the foothills. The distribution
of life, in short, conforms to the dis
tribution of water, and the struggle of
animal and vegetable life against in
organic nature and alien organisms is
severe and continuous.
The Papago Indians, who inhabit
this tract, in distinctiveness and per-
sistence Of character if not in popu-
lation, are the leading branch of the
Piman family and claim relationship
to the Nahuatlan of Mexico, the great
family. of the Montezumas. Though
the Piman family includes several
tribes, the Papagos alone remain dis
.tinct, and though small number are
domiciled in the San Xavier reserva-
ftion near Tucson, the greater part of
the tribe, which, according to the CEN
sus of 1890, then numbered 5,163 in
dividuals, retain their independence
and essential autonomy
In the August number of the Ma
tional Geographic Magazine w. G. Nc
Gee, of the: Bureau of American
Ethnology, and associate editor of the
magazine, gives an exhaustive and
valuable, as well as very entertaining
account of these children Of the desert,
showing how remarkably they have ad
justed their habits, food, clothing, in
4 dusfries and social organization to a
peculiar and extremely unfavorable as
semblage of conditions.
Three centuries ago, according to
I Mr. McGee, Spanish explorers came in
contact with the Papago Indians, find
ing them fearless and dignifed, yet
kindly and hospitable character
they still maintain. The Spaniards and
the Papagos acquired from the invad-
ers burros, goats, cattle, sheep and
dogs, some garden and field plants, the
costume Of civilization, the adobe
architecture and a few Of the cere-
monials of the Catholic religion But
they utterly refused to attach them
selves to Spanish households, to inter-
marry with whites, to submit to any
form Of bondage, or to surrender their
primitive philosophy. They have main
tained, almost without exception. the
purity ofstheir blood. They are indus
trious and virtnous: brave, going out
to meet their chief foe, the Apache,
even in greatly superior numbers, and
have protected their fatherland against
all marauders. They are known in
Mexico for their stubborn avoidance
OF peonage, to which neighboring
tribes are subject. The tribe is char
acterized by exceptional force and sta
bility Of character, yet it is said Of
them that their habits and modes Of
thought are little changed since the.
white man came.
THERE'S every reason, says Mr.. Nc
Gee, for considering the Papagos de-.
scendants from a people OF superior
aboriginal culture. Throughout much
of Papagueria there are abundant rel
les Of 4 prehistoric population and ag-I