The Clio messenger., 1918-03-29

Aimara Indians.
balism is not practiced in the Chaco,
the people have many stories about
| ii. which may be only invented. But
it is quite possible that they are the
result of lOng-forgotten habit. These
cannibals are supposed to be located
in the far West, and in that direction
among a people of Guarani descent,
such practices were evidently in
vogue" The most prevalent crime
among the Lengua-Mascoy Gone of the
Paraguay tribes) is that of infanticide,
which they do not rank in the same
category as the murder Of grown
eral, that the very existence of the
race is endangered. There are many
reasons for infanticide. The strongest
incentive to the crime is the difficulty
of nurturing and bringing up young
family under the most unfavorable
conditions, especially the shortage of
food.
Another feature of heathenism,
found among the Lengua-Mascoy In
dians, which is apt to strike one at
first sight as extremely cruel, and in
dicative of q total lack Of natural af-
fection, is the habit of Fastening the
death of the aged and the victims of
serious accident or sickness. So
long as there is any probable hope Of
recovery, the patient is kindly treated
and attended to, but their attitude to
these unfortunates at once changes
when they realize that their efforts are
In vain. Then they hasten death by
starvation and neglect, sometimes even
by violence, and wilful. premature
burial is by no means an uncommon
occurrence.
In Bolivia there are even today a
great number Of distinct tribes Of In
dians. The two most prominent fam
flies are the Quetchuas and the Aim
araes. Having lived several years in
Bolivia, 1t was my Joy to establish
preaching services among the Aim
araes. The Quetchuas belonged to the
four original tribes which unitedly
composed the Inca empire.
The proud Aimara, once considering
himself the lord Of the eternal noun
tains, is now shy and crushed serv-
ant. He evades the white man who
so treacherously treated his fore
bears In the days Of the Atahualpa, the
Croesus Of his time. With the Span
ish political yoke the religion Of the
cOnquerors was enforced upon all ma.
tives. Many Of them little cared
whether one image, that Of the sun or
moon, or another that Of the cross
or of the mother Of heaven" adorned
their temples or surmounted the hills
cannibaIs Of Bolivia.
There are 25 more major tribes Of
Indians in Bolivia. On the official
maps used in the Bolivian schools
drawn by DR.. Dan Bustamante, all
these are called "salvajes" or savages.
Some Of these, as the Guanas who are
bordering on Paraguay, or the Cha
caros Of the East Indies, are still can
nibals. No one knows their language
and they hide in the marshes or climb
into the trees at the approach Of the
white man. Lucky. indeed, the for
eigner who, having been saved from
their poisoned arrows, has been permit
ted to reach the outer border Of their
domains.
little wonder at the wild heather
rites and orgies after having seen sew
eral Of the festivities and pagan dances
performed by the so-called Christian
Indians in Bolivia. These dances took
place during one of their church festi-
vals.
/ saw them gather for the dance,
sewed into the skins of the alpaca,
Initiating bears, or wearing masks rep
resenting lions or rats. This consist
ed Of stepping slowly to the weird
sound Of bamboo flutes, meanwhile de-
scribing large circles. Suddenly they
stop a. the sign Of their leader, turn
about and retrace In dancing step the
circle just marked. At another sig
nal they stop altogether, when their
squaws regale them with small tin
cups filed with diluted raw alcohol,
manufactured from sugarcane. In
few minutes dancing is resumed, and
some of the men kept this up for forty
or forty-eight hours, when they fell In
death-like stupor to the ground. They
never took Off their masks or fancy
dresses during all this time, and even
slept out their debauch In the attire
of their orgieA