El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-18
A Curious Study of the
Christmas Festival
With a bit of
its History.
Special Correspondence of The Herald

"Matachina" the peculiar religious
ceremonial dance of the Yaqui In
dams, now at war with the Mexican
government, has been exhibited prob
ably for the first time to the pubic in
val of Inu,ans and cowboys. 1t is a
religious rite which the reds are in
disposed to present to the American
pubic; a curious ceremony performed
in celebration of the birth of Christ.
II. r. Patrick. an American who spent
years among the Yaqui Indians, after
great deal of persuasion induced a
number of Indian dancers to come to
Phoenix to perform. The Indians in
two other dances known as the Pas
COLA" and "Baila de Venado," both
weird and interesting. The Yaquis,
fifteen in number. line up in two rows
with the patron or chief of ceremon-
les, between the rows, and an Indian
whose face is covered By a mask re-
sembling the head of an ass, does con-
siderable writhing with his body. This
movement indicates that with the birth
of Christ a furious battle was waged
against sin. The dancers are attired
in gaudy colors, and moving their
limbs in a nvely manner to the strains
of a native band. the pieces on which
are tom-toms and other Indian instru-
ments. the Yaqui baila performers pre-
sent a spectacular and at times, gro
tesque appearance. They perform the
curious ceremony, however, with faces
of austerity.
In their left hands they hold bamboo
boquets and in the right hand each
dancer shakes a rattle box, a gourd
filled with seeds. The sound produced
by the company is not unlike that pro-
duced by group of rattlesnakes, but
it is intended to please "Malincha, .
tie Christ child.
Generally the name Indian suggests
feathers and paint" said Patrick.
but the dancers l have brought from
cultural people. They are nomadic in
their habits. hard workers and relig-
ious. and even in an exhibition they
carry out with persistent formality
the peculiar ceremonies established by
their ancestors two hundred years
ago."
The Yaquis are likely the only In
dams on either continent who have
adopted the hristian religion, and to
the man they are more sincere in their
belief and more regular and painstak-
ing in their observations than We're the
Puritans. 1t is not clearly known what
was the orthodox of the Yaquis fur
Their pack than two centuries. At that
time several Roman Catholic priests
were shipwrecked off the gulf of Cali
terror of Mexico where they met the
aquis. The Indians gave them a hear
ty reception and in a chort time thous-
ands of Yaquis were converted into
Christ worshipping people. They were
attentive to the teachings of the priest
but could not grasp the new creed in
It's entirety. They were Handicapped by
the fact that they were unable to read
or write. The bible could not be used
as an instrument for their instruction,
put they had to depend on the words
of the priests. The missionaries LETT
them fairly well started along the
paths of the Christian religion, but
during the past two centuries, as me
creed has been handed down from a,n-
er to son, it has become greatly distort-
ed
The priests taught penitence. The
Yaquis began in easy stages. but in
the southwestern part of Sonora, down
near Santa Ana, many of the Indians
undergo circulating torture annually
to atone for the sins of their commun-
tiles. In June of each year there are
invariably a number of young bucks
who volunteer their flesh for the ele-
walton of their people. In each COM
munity one is selected, who CARRIED
only in a breech-clout leads a process
sion composed of every inhabitant of
the village, and he seldom returns
alive. The Indians arm themselves
with cactus, and each in turn pricks
the "penitente.' The more cruel is
the nature of the torture the more
nearly have the people of the commun-
ity been forgiven by the supreme being
for their sins during tn eyear. The suf-
fering subject, bleeding and generally
.yIng, is then carried back to the a
qui church where prolonged and weird
ceremonies are conducted, but medical
and surgical attention is omitted, until
the conclusion of the ceremonies. wnen