NO. II MUSIC OF TULE INDIANS OF PANAMA DENSMORE I3 



him concerning his parents and early life, asks his age, and whether 

 he has been fighting or has killed anyone. If he is not a good young 

 man, Alfred's father " does not try to teach him to be a doctor." A 

 person may be taught the use of one sort of medicine for about $io, 

 but it is considered better that a man begin when he is young and 

 learn the uses of all sorts of medicine. A fee of $ioo is not vmusual 

 for such a course of instruction and the rec[uired time may be ten 

 years. Formerly this man gathered the medicinal herbs which he 

 used, but at present the work is done for him by young men whom 

 he has instructed. 



The father of Alfred Robinson receives his knowledge of medi- 

 cine from " little men "' who appear to him in dreams. " The little 

 men come up out of the ground and talk with him, telling him how 

 to cure the sick. Some of the little men live under the ocean and 

 others live under high cliffs among the high mountains but thev 

 usually come up through the ground." They were described as 

 being about 2 feet in height and resembling the Tule Indians in every 

 respect. No one except Alfred's father can see these little men. 

 The Tule said they did not know of an}- members of their tribe who 

 received help from birds or animals in their treatment of the sick. 

 It appears possible that the directions of the " little men" were con- 

 cerning the procedure in certain cases of illness, though they may 

 also have indicated certain plants as having a medicinal value. It 

 is not unusual for doctors among the North American Indians to 

 claim that the}- are imder the tutelage of an unseen " helper " when 

 in the presence of a sick person. An image of one of the " little 

 men " is held by a Tule doctor when treating the sick, or he may 

 have it on the top of a cane which he carries. A bird is sometimes 

 on top of the little man's head " to help him." Such an image, used 

 by a doctor, is carved of wood and about 10 inches in height, and is 

 said to be the only representation of a "god" (or unseen helper) 

 which is made by the Tule. Examples of the images used by the 

 doctors and also the canes topped by carvings are contained in the 

 Marsh Collection. A carving similar to the doctor's, convenient in 

 size, may be carried in the pocket or placed in a trunk with personal 

 belongings to ensure the health of the owner and his family. Major 

 Johnson said that an Indian who had two of these images allowed 

 him to have one. The transfer was made in the morning. When 

 Major Johnson returned at night the man was waiting on the shore 

 and demanded the return of the image, saying he was afraid his wife 

 would be ill if he gave it awav. 



