The Pima Indians/Sophiology/Medicine-men

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The Pima Indians (1908)
by Frank Russell

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Myths - Nursery Tales - Abstracts of Myths - Abstracts of Nursery Tales - Religion - Medicine-Men - Legerdemain - Cause and Treatment of Disease - Prevalent Diseases

4523080The Pima Indians — Sophiology1908Frank Russell

SOPHIOLOGY

Medicine-men

There are three classes of medicine-men among the Pimas. Those who treat disease by pretended magic are known as Siʼatcokam, Examining Physicians. As many women as men belong to this order, to which entrance is gained chiefly through heredity. This is the most powerful class in the community, though its members pay for their privileges at imminent risk. How great this risk is may be seen from the calendar records, page 38. The Siʼatcokam were more numerous than the other classes. Those who have power over the crops, the weather, and the wars are called Makai, Magicians. Only one or two women were ever admitted to this order among the Pimas. There were usually about five Makai in each village. These two classes were the true rulers of the tribe, as their influence was much greater than that of the chiefs. Their combined strength was for years turned against the missionary, Rev. C.H. Cook, but their influence is now fast waning and several medicine-men have become avowed Christians. From these converts information was obtained that in all probability could not have otherwise been secured. 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 horse, "a piece of calico," or the like. Throughout the period of his initiation the novice was not permitted to go near a woman's menstrual lodge nor might he allow anyone to know that he was learning; that implied that he should not practise until the end of the novitiate period, usually two years, sometimes four. When at length he began to practise his success depended on his ability to develop dreams and visions.

While the Siʼatcokam can induct any young man into the mysteries of the order, that man's son can not inherit his father's profession.

↑ "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 from the woods: and there they taught them to form certain figures on tablets, and when perfect in these, they were taught others, as children in our schools are taught to write. . . . But their most usual device was to hold up in their hands some little tablets of wood made with great labour, for want of iron tools of mesquite, or another hard wood called Una de Gato, on which were painted some grotesque figures, affirmed to be the true copy of the table, which the visiting spirit left with them at his departure to heaven; and these figures were the same which the Loretto professors [medicine-men] taught the boys at their private academy." Venegas, History of California, I, 98, 100.

[p262-1] "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 from the woods: and there they taught them to form certain figures on tablets, and when perfect in these, they were taught others, as children in our schools are taught to write. . . . But their most usual device was to hold up in their hands some little tablets of wood made with great labour, for want of iron tools of mesquite, or another hard wood called Una de Gato, on which were painted some grotesque figures, affirmed to be the true copy of the table, which the visiting spirit left with them at his departure to heaven; and these figures were the same which the Loretto professors [medicine-men] taught the boys at their private academy." Venegas, History of California, I, 98, 100.

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