Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-09-18
PRIMITIVE MEXICAN SAVAGES
Prof. LumhOltz Tells of a Tribe .sLos
HuichOles" of Which But Little
Has Ever Been Known,

Mexico, studying their culture and ira
dluons. For year past, says the St.
Louis Republic, in the museums of
Europe he has been comparing the dec
orauve art of the least known primitive
Mexican people, the Virarikas, with
that of Arabia, finding some similarity,
due to early Spaniards, who had been
IN contact with the Moors The very
large collections sent here by Prof
LuInnoitz form one of the most inter-
esung chronological exhibits in the
american museum. In an interview
Prof. Lumholtz said:
L spent ten months among the Cora
and the little known Huichol Indians.
most OF the time being devoted to the
latter tribe. Huichol, or los Huicholes.'
Is Spanish corruption of the tribal
name OF Vararika, meaning prophets.
When | Informed the governor of ia
nsco OF my desire of finding a primi-
i've people, he informed me of the Hui
chols, absolute savage, with long hair,
residing in corner of the state The
existence of the tribe was scarcely
known outside and but little inside of
the state of Jalisco.
After two months with the Coras
OF the Sierra del Nayarit | entered the
Hu1chol territory on the east. Not
outstanding much opposition from the
savages, | got in all right. At their
frontier | discharged my Mexican at
tendants, to aid in overcoming local
preJudices, and went in alone Stran-
gers are not welcome, and | was at
once warned that the Alcalde of Santa
Catrlna, the capital, threatened to take
my life should l venture into his pres
ence. First, learned the songs of the
Shamans being sung in the temple at
the feast for making rain thereby
breaking down the barriers between
the priests and myself Gradually I
won their confidence to such an extent
that l was thereafter unmolested, al
though suffering many deprivations.
The Huicnols number some 1000
souls. They live in the mountainous
country of the northwestern corner of
JallSco, on spur of the great Sierra
Madre, very difficult of access Two
z,
southern part of the Madre del Norte
The country is we'll watered. The Rio
Chapalagana traverses it north and
south in a mighty deep valley, with
very many small affluents forming as
many side valleys. Narrow and steep
at the bottom, the main valley grad
ually broadens, the sides rising some
covered with immense forests of pine,
in which deer are exceedingly numer-
GUS.
'The climate is tropical in the val
leys, productive of sugar cane in a
small way. Few Indians live among
the pines. Lower down at a moderate
elevation their ranches are found, wide
ly scattered. Mexicans populate the
northern section, as it is not so noun
famous and inaccessible around the
pueblos of Tezompa and Soledad.
"They were converted only nominal
ly to Christianity, and there are no
priets among them to-day, and NO tribe
in Mexico SO well maintains the ancient
beliefs. They are really side line of
the Aztec stock. Their exterior condi-
tons were altered with the introduce
ton of cattle and sheep, the former be-
ing preferred for sacrifice at feasts for
making rain during the dry seasons
They are of medium stature, healthy,
very emotional, easily moved to laugh
ter or tears, imaginative and excita-
BILE. Young people show affection by
kissing and caressing each other in
public. They are rather kind-hearted
and not inhospitable when their conf
dence is won. They are avaricious and
very susceptible to the Mexican peso.
"They are absolute liars, and not a
word they say can be depended upon
They steal from each other, although
they took nothing of mine. In the west
and south district the hair is worn
long and flowing, but in the eastern
section it is interbraided in cue and
tied with a colored ribbon. The wom-
en- weave blankets, tunics, girdles and
hair ribbons of ancient designs of wool.
Cotton cloth, however, is gradually re-
placing wool, being cheaper and at
tended with less bother.
"The women embroider cleverly and
adorn with their work their own and
the clothes of the men. They live
mostly in circular houses of loose
stones or stone and mud, covered with
matched roofs. The temples, devoted
to various gods, are much larger, SINH
lar to shape, with entrances toward
sunrise. Around the temples are small
god houses of rectangular shape, open
ing toward the open place of the tenn.
pies. The god house are also found in
the forests, where they are usually cir
cular in form.
"There are 10 temples with ranches
near, where the people congregate at
feast time, the officials and their fam
flies camping in the god houses. The
principal temple is at the pueblo of
Santa Catrina, called To-a-pu-i,
mountain. 1t is devoted to the princi-
pal god, Ta-Te-wa-l, god of fire. Idols
are never seen in the temples, but are
hidden in remote caves or in some sa-
cred or small rectangular or round edi-
flee built for the purpose. There are
GREAT many caves devoted to great
many gods, generally containing a
spring or pool, which makes cave sa-
cred"
In the Old ParlOr.