Devercux] MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRY AND SUICIDE 129 



on the (logical) conscious level. It is, however, perfectly reasonable, 

 if one assumes that gliosts and aliens are affectively (unconsciously) 

 experienced as the same kind of beings ... an inference supported by 

 the fact that the scalper, who is also a funeral ritualist, may, in his 

 former capacity, contract the scalper's psychosis (said to be a type of 

 ahwe: nyevcdhi:), and, in his latter capacity, the psychosis caused by 

 misconduct during memorial rites (pt. 4, pp. 186-195) ; in addition, 

 he is also usually a ghost doctor (Fathauer, 1951) . 



Before presenting Mohave accounts of the ahwe : psychoses, it there- 

 fore seems desirable to outline briefly the Mohave's attitude toward, 

 and fear of, aliens, since the "xenophobia of fear" is a major theme 

 in Mohave culture. 

 Mohave xenophobia is determined by several considerations : 

 The Mohave refrain from all close contact with other tribes, and 

 even more from intimate connections with alien races. Mexican 

 blood is, however, relatively safe ; Pulyi :k felt it was not too strong. 

 As regards half breeds, Hama : ITtce:, a half breed, reports that, in her 

 childhood, people refused to eat from the same dish with her, though, 

 needless to say, she was given as much food as anyone else. (How- 

 ever, she did play with other children and was made to carry around 

 the baby of one of her relatives (Devereux, 1948 c).) Food received 

 from aliens and nonaboriginal food also cause the alien sickness. 

 K. M. Stewart (1947 c) specifies that, when female captives were 

 distributed, only older men put in a claim for them, because they did 

 not expect to live long anyhow. This suggests that the malignant 

 influence of aliens requires some time to take effect. In addition, the 

 Mohave believe that alien males are phallic, sexually potent 

 (Devereux, 1950 a), and genetically prepotent. They believe this is 

 true even of Mexicans. Thus, in connection with the belief that if a 

 pregnant woman changes sex partners her new partner will modify 

 the biological and social identity of the baby," it is held, on the 

 one hand, that it is hard for a Mohave to change the racial identity 

 of a halfbreed fetus, and, on the other hand, that a smgle sexual 

 act with an alien may suffice to change the racial identity of a full- 

 blood Mohave fetus (Devereux, 1937 d, 1949 c). The extreme sex- 

 ual effectiveness of the alien male is also reflected by his "dangerously" 

 large male organ and hyperpotency (Devereux, 1950 a).^^ Last, 

 but not least, the killing and/or scalping of enemies — or even a mere 



" This belief is highly convenient in a society where marriages are very brittle, and 

 children much desired and loved, since it enables the pregnant woman's new spouse to claim 

 her previously conceived baby as his own. 



" Since the partial breakdown of Mohave culture, men sometimes visit alien prostitutes 

 In order to lend "spice" to the sexual act, whereas formerly only Impoverished women had 

 relations with whites capable of paying them for their services (Devereux, 1948 f ). 



