The Coconino sun., 1927-11-25
IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY
MARKS SACRIFICIAL RITE
lCoeonino Sun Of July 6. 1sssl

tical save when the necessary fuel can
not be procured in the immediate
neighborhood. The corpse is carried
to the funeral pile as soon as the
breath leaves the body. The cere-
mony is deeply solemn and impressive
and the whole tribe Is expected to
attend, especially if the departed had
been a person of consequence. The
cremation of Pasqual differs from all
the others only in the number of par.
ticipants, and may therefore properly
serve as description of the customary
usage.
Several days previous to the cele-
brated chieftain's death, after it be-
came known to a certainty that the
end was near, the aged Indians of
both sexes selected an open space fac
ing his residence and eXcavated a v
shaped hole seven feet long and three
feet wide by three feet deep, ia which
dry poles were arranged along the
sides, slanting upwards and outwards.
Between this the body, tightly wrap
| ped in a heavy canvas, was laid, and
short thick pieces of wood arranged
upon it until a total height of seven
feet was attained. To the pyre was
added the personal effects of the de-
ceased to accompany his spirit wher-
ever it might go.
The tribe meanwhile gathered about
him and walled in concert, keeping up
an incessant series of shrieks and
cries that were heartrending to the
extreme. The disconsolate and grief
| stricken faces were stained with tears;
regret and despondency were plainly
| depicted and speeches were delivered
! ending in the moaning refrain, PAS
quail, Pasqual"
Two splendid horses, gaudily ca
| parisoned in red and blue flannel and
waving feathers, were led to deep
| holes dug near either side of the body.
After being killed with axes they
were disembowelled, thrown into the
graves, and covered with dirt, to in
sure their carrying the old chief in
! his future wanderings.
Several young men, strangely
dressed in curious cloaks and cowls of
many colors and holding bows and ar
rows in their hands, stepped forward.
Grasping Pasqual's gun, a much
| priced treasure, by the way, one of
them fired it into the air, to notify
the Great Spirit that Yuma had COM
nlenced his journey to paradise. In
stantly another applied a match, and
tongues of fire darted heavenward, en-
veloping the remains in a shroud of
seething, spluttering flames.
The crowd squatting in a circle
around the pyre watching the pro-
ceedings with undisguised interest,
now seemed moved by uncomfortable
excitement. Springing to their feet
they separated into two bodies; the
men on one side and the women on
| the other, to allow the passage Of the
spirit between them Breaking from
the ranks they threw their most val
ued possessions into the flames. Strips
of calico, pottery, weapons, sacks of
! flour and mesquite beans, playing
cards, beads and trinkets of every de-
scription followed each other in rapid
succession. Several men and women
denuded themselves of their clothing,
piece by piece, until they stood naked
to the breech-cloth A daughter of the
dead man, carrying a small child in
her arms, walked around the fire and
holding a bundle of arrow-weeds to
the blaze, touched the infants cheeks,
/ to prevent the deceased from haunting
| it. A tall brave, nearly nude, and
provided with sharp knife, cut off
more or less hair from relatives in
accordance with the degree of kins-
manship, each softly muttering invo~
cations. The medicine-men with their
hair pulled over their faces, tore
large cotton cloth into small pieces,
which they burned. In fact every in
diivdual seemed actuated with entirely
different motives, known only to him.
self
An increased impetus seemed given
he mourners, for their sobs now rose
70 screams, yells and shrieks, blend
ing in an nidescribable chorus that
xes the fullest capacity of their
l'-ags. They moved about singly and
"a squads, each preoccupied with his
ov-n sorrow. Whenever the fire
bv ned low it was quickly replenished
" a fuel. The awful smell of burn
iny human flesh rising to the nostrils
did not tend to dissipate the strange
and at times disgusting features of
the ceremony, which lasted for eigh-
teen hours or more.
After all had been consumed the
ashes were raked into the pit and COW
cred in such a manner as to prevent
the discovery of the spot unless spe-
cial search was made PasquaPs resi-
dence was then burned, SO that no
traces were left behind to remind his
subjects of their late ruler, on the
principle that "reminiscences thus
awakened would bring increased re-
gret and sorrow, and so, complete for
getfulness is best. This idea is car
ried to the extent of moving the VII
lagos themselves a short distance
from the scene.
AS it is believed that the spirit
when leaving the body is extremely
minute and requires several days to
grow sufficiently to admit of its rec
ognition by the gatekeeper Of paradise,
the immediate relatives abstain from
food for three days and battle many
times daily.
The indiscriminate destruction of
property at cremations is a source Of
constant poverty. They consider
nothing too valuable for sacrificial
purposes, which feeling is gratified
!. by purchasing food and clothing from
the stores to be ultimately burned
The dead must be provided for though
the living starve.
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