Yet another class of persons, including both men and women, and few in number, might be termed medicine-men. They are called Haiʼ-itcottam, Something given to drink. They are not highly esteemed, however skilled they may become in the use of roots and simple remedies, yet they are the true physicians of the Pimas. It may be that among the many empiric remedies which they employ some will be found to possess true therapeutic qualities.
The traditional history of the tribe tells of many families of medicine-men, and the profession was very generally handed down from father to son. Those receiving magic power in this manner were somewhat more highly regarded than others. A second method by which a person might secure power was by what might be termed a process of natural selection; anyone who recovered from a rattlesnake bite on the hand or near the heart might become a medicine-man or medicine-woman. A third method was by dreams and trances. Kisatc said that during his youth he had dreamed every night that he was visited by some one who endowed him with magic power. Under the influence of these dreams he decided to become a medicine-man, but as soon as he began to practise the dreams ceased. These dreams are not sought by fasting or other unusual conditions, nor does the person to whom they come seclude himself from his fellows.
Several informants declared that "any man who received instruction from a medicine-man and learned to do some little tricks could become a medicine-man." The process of acquiring power was called vaʼĭkita, "getting power" (literally, "pouring in olla"). The novice was tested, either alone or along with one or more fellow-aspirants, by the medicine-man, who had the youth kneel before him on all fours, and then threw four sticks, each about 8 inches long, at him. If the novice fell to the ground during the throwing he was "shot" with the power and could then take the next degree. This was administered by the instructor, who "coughed up" tcuʼtcaka (word of unknown meaning), white balls the size of mistletoe berries, and rubbed them "into" the breast of the novice. Another informant said that the novice swallowed the balls. Four or five balls were thus administered, though the "power began to work" in some cases where only one or two balls were used. One informant. thought that the medicine-man had a sort of "nest of power" wherein the balls developed as in the ovary of a hen. No matter how many were given off the supply continued undiminished.
Sometimes the doctor wished to teach the youth, in which case the latter paid nothing for his instruction.[1] But the usual fee was a
- ↑ "The Indians of the nation of Loretto had schools, whereby these professors instructed their youths in the above opinions, and some other needless puerilities: but recommended to them as truths of great importance. In order to this, their pupils attended them to caves or solitary places, at a distance
