The Arizona sentinel., 1909-06-17
Early History Of
 the Yuma Indians

cisco Kino reached the valleys of the GiIa and Colorado rivers. The Jesuits, who sent him to convert the western tribes, had been established since ~1590 in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, and pushed their propag ganda with unvaried success through the valleys of the Fuerte de Mayo and Yaqui river.as we'll as other portions of Sonora. Father Kino, with those who accompa- nied him, esta blished several missions along the Gila amidst the Pima and Maricopa Indians, and three along the Colorado river, no vestfge of winch re- mains. Fort Yuma was built on the site of one of them, and it's ruins furnished material for the construction of the fort.
 During the 23 years of Father Kinofs missionary labors he is spid to have converted over forty-fve thousand Indians. Their numbers must have de- creased very rapidly or else the accounts then written were ex- aggerated. Tbe notes of Father Kino's travels give us the first mention of the Yuma Indians, [ the names Yuma and CuchanO being confusedTy used, kn the year 1540 the Vlceroy of Spain sent Fernando Alarehon to ex- plore the Gulf of California, then known as the Gulf of CorteZ, and he discovered the mouth of the Colorado, which he describes as "a mighty river which runs with so great fury of stream that we could hardly sail against it,"
 But he does not appear to have ascended the river to any distance from its mouth.
 In 1744 Jacob Sedelmayer wis ited the Yuma Indians and his order este blished a mission here; but the Indians turned upon and massacred the priests and burned their habitatiCAs.
 In 1776 Father Escalante came from the east via Santa Fe, and followed the Gila to it's junction with the Colorado. Hum boIdt also visited this region, and his writings doubtless contain much l information regarding the abori- ginal inhabitants. Unfortunate ly our libraries contain none of his works. @
 The lands occupied by the ' una Indians extended from a point 60 miles above the junction of the Gila and Colorado to a point 90 miles below, but they never left the bottom lands to dwell in the mountains.
 The tribes surrounding the Yumas were on the north and upon the east bank of the Colo rado-- the Mohaves and the Yav apais (Yampais); one hundred miles to the eastward were the Mfaricopas and Pimas: to the east anGp south were the. Papa. goes; to the south and on the west side of the river with a strip of neutral laniel twelve miles in extent lying between, aFe' the Coeopahsr and to the northwest, on the west bank o1 the Colorado aye the Chem-e hueviS. There @ no reliable data as to their pan bers, thOugE the impression left frOm re, searches is that She YumaS were never 0 large or powerful tribe.
 In 1853 Nfapr Heintzefman made an enRmerB5.on fhow thiS was done we aEe not able tC state) and gives, tire nfumber as I972 men, woEaen aaef children, with less than 40@ warriors. Ir 1858, August 3t, they lost over one hundred men in a fight witFl the, Maricopas- The scene ot the conflict was on the Gila al a point now known as "Old Mar Icopa Wells" Various battles with the Cocopahs still further reduced the tribe. They have always. with very few exceptions, been friendly to the Americans; ] hann rnSiStnd tomNtatiNnS from