The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-12-29
THE MOHAVE INDIANS
THEY ARE THE MOST SUPERSTlTlOUS
OF ALL OUR RED MEN.

From Their Burning BodIcs-ThOse
Not Burned Turn to Owls.
J.. X. Meekinson, formerly a govern
ment special agent, says that the Mo
HAYES are the most superstitious tribe
of North American Indians.
1.-THE Mohaves," said he, ''believe in
a god M~at-o-we-lia. He Is the maker
OF all things. He has a son, whom they
call Mas-zam-ho, who Is king Of the de-
parted spirits. Mat-o-we-lia, they say,
conducts the movements Of the sun
moon and stars. He sends the rain
and the sunshine and decides whether
the season shall bring feast or famine.
He guards the hunting ground. Mas.
zaln-ho has full charge Of affairs in
heaven. or White Mountain. rs they
call 1t.
''They believe that the spirit dead go
UP to White Mountain In smoke and
that all the personal property destroy
ed In the flames with the deceased will
go with him. There pots are constant
ly boiling, filed with the choicest
things to eat. They invariably cremate
their dead that Mas-Zam-ho may be
appeased, and the funeral pyre Is made
ready for the corpse as soon as life Is
extinct. In order that the spirit journey
to White Mountain may be accelerated.
II witnessed about II months ago the
cremation Of IN influential subchief.
whose death was deeply mourned. The
funeral pyre was made near the TEN
porary village. just Off the reservation
at Fort Mohave. Shortly after night
fall all the inhabitants of the village
gathered about the pyre. The body.
wrapped In a gorgeous Mohave blanket.
with the frlnges nrtistically worked in
beads. was carried on the shoulders OF
four braves from the lodge to the plat.
form of ininmmable frewood.
Following the pallbearers came the
women and children and near rela-
tives. The family group %crouched near
the pyre. The chief Of the medicine
men offered first words OF praise and
thanks to Mnt-o-we-lia for making the
elements favorable TO an easy passage
and then a supplication to Mas-zam-ho
to receive the spirit of the departed
chieftain with due honors at White
Mountain.
"Then the dead body was placed on
the pyre. the fire was lighted, the crac-
king flames swept fercely up about
the corpse. and the spirit was on Its
way to It's eternal home on White
Mountain. Friends and relatives chant
ed songs Of lamentation and moaned
%piteously while the flames devoured
the body. At short intervals the four
pallbearers cast upon the flames per-
sonal property of the deceased In the
expectation Of It's going up in smoke
with him to White Mountain. thereby
adding to his comfort.
""The mourners also contributed some
Of their choicest personal belongings,
so that In his new and eternal home
the absent one might have about him
remembrances Of their affection. To
the women Of the immediate family
was granted the privilege Of contribut-
ing portions of their hair to the flames.
After the incineration vas complete
Mohave etiquette forbade the friends
and relatives to eat salt or wash them
selves for four days.
at is a belief firmly fixed In the Mo-
have mind that all Mohaves who die
and are not cremated turn into owls.
When an owl Is heard hooting ut night
near their village, they think 1t Ia the
,irit of some dead Mohave returned.
\. " chance an owl falls into their
haI, \ the bird Is properly cremated,
In I'll ':elief that the wandering spirit
Of It'll Ak,ave occupant will thereby be
quietd SMkNd thus enabled to approach
Mas-zs ~ y confident that It's petition
to be ~ a., to enter the promised
land aM teafter rest In peace
M Mount n o, %1 Te ass.sI' = W ''''
held yeari,s s"yn1 i l:ng festival. It
was the all, d NJ Ruiug OF personal
property in Jinual "a departed mem.
bers Of the N'onor or tihe hour deemed
most propitid1be. At medicine men
to both Mat-Rus by dlad to Mas-zam-
no the Mohab-we-lia aAed In an open
spot near tliles ussembl q high knoll
usually beingsar village. ('he pyre had
been prepared 2eiected. Or the crema-
ton of the deas though fEhe fire was
hottest, each NIL. When ke tribe con.
trih,,ted RI tho Fnber OF tn hit of nor.
sonal property ha,an.s e esteem.
"As the thick ~ akIoated sky
ward the mourn 80 inTio nss were con
sOled for the loss % ah,nc,. Ut personal
adornment, app ,o, A. Of h&nting i'm
plements by Their firm belitY that the
curling smoke rings weiA waited
straight to M~as-Snm-ho, king of the de-
parted spirits, and that their loved
ones on White Mountain were goon In
possession Of these proofs Of theiE. last.
ing love and remembrance.
"Under the influence Of their agents
the Mohaves have abandoned the an
nual sacrifice to the dead, and. except
at Needles. Off the reservation, It Is
not now observed" Washington Let
ter In New York Sun.