St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1901-02-20
The Yaqui Indians.

dams now at war WIFI tue mexican
Covernment, has been exhibited prob
xiv for the first time to the public in
his country during the Poenix carnival
oIIpdians and cowboys. tits a religious
rite which the reds are indisposed to pre-
cent to the American public; curious
ceremony performed in celebration of the
birth OF Christ. H. R. Patrick, an Amer
lean who spent years among the Yaqui
Indians, after great deal OF persuasion
induced number of Indian dancers to
come to Phoenix to perform. The In
dams appear in two other dances known
as the "Pascola" and "Baila de Venado,"
both weird and interesting. The va
ovis. fifteen in number, line up in two
rows, with the patron or chief of cere-
monies between the rows, and an Indian
whose face is covered by mask resemb-
ling the head Of an ass does considerable
wrtbing 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 lively man
ner to the strains of native band, the
pieces of which are tam-tams and other
indian instruments, the Yaqui baila per-
formers present a spectacular and at
times grotesque appearance. They per
form the curious ceremony, however,
with faces OF austerity.
In their lett hands they hold bamboo
bouquets and in the right hand each
dancer shakes a rattle box, gourd filled
with seeds. The sound produced by the
company is not unlike that produced by
group OF rattlesnakes, but it is intend
ed to please "Malinche," the Christ
child.
Generally the name Indian suggests
feathers and paint" said Patrick, but
the dancers have brought from Mexico
represent a pastoral and agricultural
people. They are nomadic in their
habits, hard workers and religious, and
even in an exhibition they carry out with
persistent formality the peculiar cere-
nones established by their ancestors
two hundred years ago." The Yaquis
are said to be the only Indians on either
continent who have adopted as a tribe
the christian religion, and to the man
they are more sincere IN their belief and
more regular and painstaking in their
observation than were the Puritans. 1t
is not clearly known what was the
orthodox religion of the Yaquis further
back than two centuries. At that time
several Roman Catholic priests were
shipwrecked off the Gulf OF California
and made their way into the interior OF
Mexico, where they met the Yaquls.
The Indians gave them a hearty recep-
tion and in a short time thousands OF
Yaquis were converted into a Christ
worsbipping people. They were atten'
tive to the teachings of the priests, but
could not grasp the new creed in its en-
tirety. 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, and
they had to depend on the words OF the
priests. The missionaries left them fairly
we'll started along the paths OF the
christian religion, but during the last
two centuries, as the creed has been
handed down from father to son, it has
become greatly distorted.
The priest taught penitence. The
Yaquls began in easy stages, but IN the
southwestern part of Sonora, down
near Santa Ana, many of the Indians I'M
dergo excruciating torture annually to
atone for the sins of their communities.
Ia June of each year there is invariably a
number of young bucks who volunteer
their flesh for the elevation OF their
people. In each community one is select
ed, who, CARRIED only in breechclout,
leads procession composed of every IN
habitant Of the village, and he seldom
returns alive. The Indians arm them
selves with cactus, and each in turn
prlcks the 'penitente." The more crue
the nature of the torture the more nearly
have the people of the community beer
forgiven by the Supreme Being for then
sins during the year. The suffering sub
ject, bleeding and generally dying, Is
then carried back to the Yaqui church
where prolonged and weird ceremonie:
are conducted, but medical and surgica
attention is omitted until the conclusion
OF the ceremonies, when an undertake.
or medicine man is permitted to figure
IN the disposition OF the sacrifice.
This is human offering, which is tol
lowed by the "Matachina," the principe
dance, OF four days duration. The dan
Ger Frances about, much in the sam'
manner as baboon trips about in {
cage, until from sheer exhaustion HI
sinks to the ground. Another immedi
ately takes his place, and thenever vary
ing movement, accompanied by the con
tinuous rattle of the gourds, continue
undated through the four days. At TIL
conclusion of the ceremonies the Yaqui'
heave mighty signs of relief, for the.
have performed their duty, they hav'
been forgiven for their transgressions
and they begin new year with unsullle'
records. The past has been entirely tor
gotten, and when a member of the trib
dies during the next year he is punished
only for the sins committed during tn
period following the last atonement cere
monies. The young Indians offered 10
sacrifice who escape the orgies with the1
lives are awarded place in heave
second in glory only to that OF the dc
Iuded subjects who succumb to the crut
prlckings of the cactus. The "Mata
china" is a ceremonial dance produces
only on occasions Of great Joy. Itissut
posed that alter buck has been cruel
sacrificed the Indians should be unusual
happy, and their "b ala" is in the natur
OF an Irish wake. The same ceremo mics
devoid of the torture scenes, take plaC
frequently during the month Of Decen
Der, ending on Christmas day, when til
eliminating and most severe of tt