The North American Indian Part 5

Disc M 1-Tubadzischi?ni, the second son of Stenatlihan, is the G.o.d of Water, because his mother conceived as she slept one afternoon under a ledge of rock from which drops of water trickled upon her. In the dance for rain all prayers and songs are addressed to him. It was he who created the ocean.

2-Yadilhkih Skhin is Chief of the Sky. In the origin story the Lightning was sent to encircle the earth to find how things appeared on all sides.

On his return he brought back with him a large turquoise bowl containing three ill-formed persons, one of whom was Sky Boy. Later all three were put through a sweat-bath and their bodies perfected.

3-Yolkai Skhin, described above.

4-Hadintin Skhin, described above.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Ford - Apache]

The Ford - Apache

_From Copyright Photograph 1903 by E.S. Curtis_

Disc N 1-Yolkai Nali?n, one of the most venerated and greatly feared personages in the Apache mythology. She is the G.o.ddess of Death, or rather of the after-life, for she controls all souls that pa.s.s on to the future world. The road to this afterworld is supposed to cross her shoulders and is symbolized by the Milky Way, a trail made by the departing spirits. The Apache will not utter the name of a deceased person, because they say the dead have gone on to Yolkai Nali?n and are her people. If they talked of them it might anger her, and when their death ensues she might refuse them admittance to the eternal paradise. This G.o.ddess is supposed to preside over the birth of children, hence supplications and offerings are made to her immediately before childbirth. She is invoked at other times to withhold her call, for it is believed that she can cause death. These prayers are addressed to Yolkai Nali?n through the medium of small white sh.e.l.ls and white stone beads. The white beads are symbolic of purity, and through them Yolkai Nali?n is asked to keep the minds of the people free from evil thoughts or deeds.

2-Dutli?s.h.i.+ Nali?n, the Turquoise Girl, is the creator of all things green. She has to do with the crops in the fields, and the devout Apache prays to her every morning during the season of growth.

3-Enasho Dilhkli?shen is the G.o.d of Intellect. He controls the minds of the people, making their thoughts good or evil at will. It was he who first talked to the people on earth. When a child is born its parents often pray that Kuterastan will make it grow to be like Enasho Dilhkli?shen, to whom prayers are addressed for aid when one must talk to the people. In such case no offering of pollen is made unless the request be presented to an image representing this G.o.d, when pollen is sprinkled upon it.

4-Hadintin Nali?n is Chieftainess of Pollen, because she causes pollen to grow on the trees. The Indians know the function of pollen in plants and pray that their corn and other products of the fields, as well as the nuts and fruits that grow wild, may be fructified early in the season, to insure good harvests.

Disc O 1-Hadintin Nali?n, described above.

2-Nilchidilhkizn, Chief of the Winds. The Apache never complains of the wind, for should he become impatient about them and give vent to sacrilegious utterances he might anger the Wind G.o.d and thereby bring on destructive storms.

3-Yolkai Nali?n, described above.

4-Yakosha Skhin, G.o.d of Moisture and also Controller of Rain. Since snow, ice, hail, frost, dew, and fog are derived from the clouds, Yakosha Skhin is sometimes termed Chief of the Clouds, but in general the clouds are regarded as his workshop, for there is another who has direct charge and control of them.

P, Q, R, and S-These figures represent G.o.ds, or, in Apache, _gaun_, who are supposed to have been made by the Sun for the purpose of curing people stricken with bodily disease. Diseases of the body are regarded as distinct from those of the mind. The _gaun_ live in the four cardinal directions and are impersonated in medicine ceremonies by men wearing stick masks, who always take stations at the four sides of the patient.

These doctors are not called in case of illness until after the four chief deities have been supplicated, when, as a last resort, the medicine-man prays to the _gaun_. If the _gaun_ cannot help, there is believed to be no hope for the patient. In ancient times all animals could talk, and many were used as beasts of burden. The bear and the deer were the horses of that time. In the graphic representations of the Apache these four spirits are often pictured riding deer and bear.

MEDICINE AND MEDICINE-MEN

The medicine-men of the Apache are most influential personages. They are usually men of more than ordinary ability, claiming, through their many deities and their knowledge of the occult and ominous, to have supernatural power. In sickness any individual may make supplication to the deities, but the prayers of the medicine-men are accepted as being most efficacious.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Apache Medicine-man]

Apache Medicine-man

_From Copyright Photograph 1907 by E.S. Curtis_

Many of the medicine-men have some knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants and generally make use of them in the treatment of disease, but their treatment consists more of incantation than aught else. Even in collecting the plants they invoke the deities, usually facing the cardinal points in turn. In case the prescription calls for a combination of herbs or other vegetal products, the number four is always strictly adhered to; it might be a decoction made of four roots of one variety or of a single root from each of four varieties of plants.

Every Apache medicine-man has a medicine skin, his _epu?n ezchi_, inscribed with the symbolism of the tribal mythology. With his prayer wands he rehea.r.s.es the symbolic figures, praying to the mythical characters who are regarded as most efficacious in the particular ailment under treatment. In his own little _kowa_, or dwelling, with the painted deerskin spread before him, on which are delineated the symbolic representations of a score of G.o.ds comprising the Apache pantheon, a medicine-man will sit and croon songs and pray all day and all night in the hope of hearing the voices of celestial messengers.

Many of the prayers and songs of the Apache medicine-men are very beautiful. The following is an example:

1 _Stena pehi?nda nzhoni, togonil adahe be?oishka__n__._

2 _Inate?sh nzhoni be?oishka__n__._

3 _Enude?tsos nzhoni be?oishka__n__._

4 _Inyatil nzhoni be?oishka__n__._

5 _Be?hnandahi inkehi togonil adahe be?oishka__n__._

6 _Indu?h binandahe be?oishka__n__._

7 _Beh nashalolezh nde; nasheyo s.h.i.+chi~sigo__n__ zho__n__dolezh._

8 _Nde s.h.i.+nkloho beh sanandahe be?oishka__n__._

9 _Beh sanashado be?oishka__n__._

10 _No osko__n__go adishni dahazhi behnashado ti nde ta nasheyo go__n__zhodo._

11 _s.h.a.gocho paogo nasha._

12 _Akud nde sa nzhoni ye?sitchi ye?atido._

13 _Pidi yu?gga sa nzhoni ye?kissin s.h.i.+~dil e?ndo._

14 _s.h.i.+tu?h gozho__n__dolezh pogo hadishndi._

1 _Stenatliha__n__, you are good, I pray for a long life._

2 _I pray for your good looks._

3 _I pray for good breath._

4 _I pray for good speech._

5 _I pray for feet like yours to carry me through a long life._

6 _I pray for a life like yours._

7 _I walk with people; ahead of me all is well._

8 _I pray for people to smile as long as I live._