The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, HavasupaisJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, Havasupais
James, George Wharton
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
Wallapai and Havasu Canyons, far more than the Grand Canyon, meet
the popular idea as to what a canyon is. Their walls are narrow and
precipitous, and one staying in their depths must be content with a
late sunrise and an early sunset. Just above the rude bridge before
described are several natural reservoirs of water. Here the canyon is
not more than from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty feet
wide. This close proximity of the walls, which fairly overshadow one,
compels one to feel his insignificance far more than when he stands in
the wider and more comprehensive vastness of the Grand Canyon.
From leading Havasupais I learn that many years ago the various tribes
of this region were at war one with another, until finally a treaty
of peace was entered into and boundaries defined. The Paiutis were
to remain in Nevada and Utah and not cross the Colorado River, the
Wallapais had their region to the west of Havasu Canyon, the Mohaves,
Hopis, Pimas, Apaches, Navahoes, Chimehuevis, and the rest their
prescribed limits, over which they were not to go without permission
from the chiefs into whose territory they wished to pass. And,
generally speaking, this treaty has been observed.
Of the exquisitely beautiful waterfalls that give the commonly accepted
name to Havasu Canyon, viz., Cataract Canyon, I have not space here to
treat. I have already somewhat fully described them in my book on the
Grand Canyon.
CHAPTER XIV
THE HAVASUPAIS AND THEIR LEGENDS
In almost every case one finds a variety of differing legends related
by the Indians of any tribe upon the same subject. As the Wallapais
and Havasupais are cousins, one would naturally expect their legends
to have some things in common. How much this is so will be seen by a
comparison of the following story with that of the Wallapai Origin
Legend.
* * * * *
"The two gods of the universe," said O-dig-i-ni-ni´-a, the relator of
the mythic law of the Havasupais, "are Tochopa and Hokomata. Tochopa
he heap good. Hokomata heap han-a-to-op´-o-gi--heap bad all same white
man's devil. Him Hokomata make big row with Tochopa, and he say he
drown the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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