390 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



The tribal religious ceremonial is a 2-day public community prayer, 

 accompanied by sacrifice, offered as a petition for the welfare of all 

 the people and as a thanksgiving for blessings received. The cacique 

 is the officiating officer. Generally the ceremonial is held following 

 seeding time and at harvest time. Prayers are directed to God as the 

 father of all and to the woman in heaven as the mother of all. Sacred 

 dances are performed to the rhythm of a drum. 



Sorcerers were of both sexes. They are sometimes hired by jealous 

 persons to perform their black art. There is a belief in hobgoblins 

 and visions. 



Death, and belief in life after death. — Death is omened. Sorcery 

 is believed to be its cause, unless it is known that violence, accident, 

 or secret poisoning has caused it. Relatives attend a death, and remain 

 until after the burial. Burials may have been in caves ; it is known 

 that they have been in cemeteries for generations past. Bodies found 

 in excavated graves are in supine position. All early burials face the 

 rising sun. Personal belongings, including a man's horse, were buried 

 with the individual, but food was not brought to the place of burial 

 after interment. Grave markers — figurines cut out of wood — can still 

 be seen in several cemeteries. There is a belief in life after death. 



There were no exterior signs of mourning, but bereaved families 

 often moved to another locality and remained there for some time. 



Government. — The government was under the control of the ca- 

 cique. His jurisdiction comprised a lofche, that is, 20 to 60 families 

 who recognized him as their cacique, and who, when spoken of, were 

 designated by his name. In the exercise of his powers he could rely 

 on the assistance of two men and on the advice of all men of his lofche 

 who had considerable ownership, whenever he called them together. 

 No evidence of clans or gens was found. 



Each lofche was the recognized legitimate occupant of a specific 

 area of land. Within the area each family owned land, but it was 

 within the cacique's power to redistribute the land. However, he had 

 no power over the animals owned or grazed upon the land. Other 

 important duties of the cacique were to set the time for the tribal re- 

 ligious ceremonial and to lead its performance, to lead his men in time 

 of war, to enforce law and maintain order, and to punish violators. 



Upon the death of a cacique his eldest son inherited the position, 

 unless he was not considered fit, in which case, or in case the cacique 

 had no sons, the men of the lofche elected a qualified man. Formerly, 

 no woman was a cacique ; today, one woman is so recognized. The 

 cacique had an emblem when exercising his authority; he could be 

 distinguished at all times by a distinctive earring worn by him. Arau- 



