Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/23

18 old belongings that for a month or two after going into their midst there seemed but little opportunity of securing anything approaching a representative series. Several specimens that were finally discovered are believed to be the very last of their kind among the Pimas, though of course such a statement must be made with reserve. Prof. J.J. Thornber, of the University of Arizona, accompanied the party on a round trip of 80 miles along the Gila river and to him the collection is indebted for about 50 herbarium specimens, representing the larger portion of the economic plants of the Pimas that are susceptible of preparation in this way. To him also is due the credit of examining end identifying the mass of material gathered by the persons engaged at Casa Blanca and Gila Crossing. As complete a list as possible of the plants used for food, medicine, and the like was made, after which the services of both men and women were enlisted to point out the plants in the course of a trip through the river bottoms or on the hills. Furthermore, a number of sets of seeds was obtained, a portion of which were planted during the summer of 1902 for the purpose of raising plants that could not otherwise be identified. Unfortunately, the season proved too dry for them to germinate and the list is consequently less complete than it should be. The Pima name is given in all cases.

The American people owe the Pimas a lasting debt of gratitude. The California pioneers that traversed the southern route before the warfare between the Pimas and the Apaches. After several months acquaintance with this old woman Mrs Russell obtained from her much information concerning the Pima woman's views of warfare us well as knowledge of facts pertaining to various customs, especially those peculiar to her sex. Antonio Azul (see pl., a) was the head chief of the tribe, and from him much information concerning war customs and recent history was obtained. Kiʼsatc, Cheese, an old Santan pariah, had employed such wit as grudging nature had endowed him with in practising the arts of the medicine-man. His contributions, while of a minor character, proved to be of interest. William Blackwater, an elderly Pima, had taken an active part in the later history of the village of Blackwater, which is situated at the eastern end of the reservation. He was employed but a short time and gave information concerning history and customs. Haʼhali, or Juan Thomas, Christian Pima who was formerly a medicine-man, contributed much valuable information concerning the "occult." He also furnished a calendar record and made a number of specimens illustrating the medicine-man's paraphernalia. Tcoʼkŭt Nak, Owl Ear (pl., b), an old man, lived at the Salt River village and was the first from whom a calendar record was obtained. Benjamin Thompson, so far as could be learned, kept the only calendar in the central group of villages about Casa Blanca, and he related the events that are commemorated by it. Kâemâ-â, Rattlesnake Head (pl., c), a chief, is known to the whites as Joseph Head. He gave an excellent specimen of a calendar record and stick. Interpreters. The principal interpreter, who was employed by the month during the entire period of the writer's stay, was José Lewis, a Papago who had lived from childhood among tha Pimas. He had once been engaged by the Bureau of American Ethnology to write a vocabulary of his own language and to supply other information, so that he was acquainted with the phonetic alphabet and other approved methods of procedure. He was engaged in linguistic work the greater part of the time. Melissa Jones, the official interpreter at the agency, was employed to interpret the statements of Sikaʼtcu, her mother, known to the whites as "Old Mary," and also at intervals on the calendars. Jacob L. Roberts spoke quite as good English as the averige white man of the country and was employed to secure Tcoʼkŭt Nak's calendar (pl., b) and for the final revision of the linguistic material. Carl Smart, of Sacaton, and Thomas Allison, of Blackwater, were occasionally engaged as temporary interpreters. In addition to these there were half a dozen others who were employed for from one to three days each at the lower villages.