2!U 



The " Penitenties." 



Albert B. Reagan. 



At the conquest of New Mexico by the Spaniards, tlie Pueblo Indians 

 were converted to Christianity. From the first they were very attentive 

 to the teachings of the Catholic priest, but they could not grasp the new 

 creed in its entirety. They were handicapped by the fact that they were 

 not able to read or write. The Bible could not be used as an instrument 

 for their instruction. They had to depend upon the words of the priest 

 only. As a result Christianity, as practiced by the Pueblo Indians today, 

 is greatly "distorted." 



The "padres" taught penitence. The Pueblos began in easy stages, 

 but soon corrupted the religion; and now many of the Indians undergo 

 excruciating torture annually to atone for the sins of their respective 

 village. In June of each year there are invariably a number of young 

 Indian men who volunteer their flesh for the elevation of their people. 

 In each village several are selected avIio lead a procession, composed of 

 nearly every inhabitant of the village. One of these "penitenties," as the 

 Mexicans call them, as late as even the eighties, carried a massive cross 

 in representation of Chrisfs carrying the cross to the crucifixtion. This 

 one seldom returned alive. In this performance of the "penitenties," the 

 Indians who are not acting as "penitenties" arm themselves with cactus; 

 and each in turn, pricks the "penitenties." The more cruel the nature of 

 the torture, the more nearly have the people of the village been forgiven 

 by the Supreme Being for their sins duriag the 3'ear. The flesh bruising 

 l)art of the ceremony being finished, the suffering subjects, bleeding from 

 liead to foot, are carried back to the church, where prolonged and weird 

 ceremonies are conducted. This human offering is followed by the 

 ■■-Matachina Dance." described in a previous paper— a curious ceremony 

 performed in celebration of the birth of Christ. 



