Devereux] MOHAVE ETHNOPSYCHIATRT AND SUICIDE 405 



at its root a rather intense preoccupation with — and conflict over — normal 

 sexuality.^" 



The most puzzling feature of this case history is, however, the fact that in- 

 formants knew nothing about the circumstances under which Hi:wa Maa:ma 

 was killed. The nescience was certainly genuine, since the Mohave would not 

 have suppressed information in speaking with me; they woxild have simply 

 asked me to keep certain data confldential. 



CASE 98 (Informants : Hivsu : Tupo :ma and llama : Utce :) : 



Tcemupa :va, of the Tcatc gens, a 40-year-old fuUblood Mohave shaman, spe- 

 cialized in the treatment of rheumatism and aching joints. Although he had 

 begun to practice around 1880, when he was about 20 years old, it was not 

 until some 20 years later (1900?) that people began to say that he was a witch. 

 Roughly a year after these rumors had begun to circulate, Tcemupa :va be- 

 witched Nyortc, of the Nyoltc gens, a 25-year-old fullblood Mohave married 

 woman, who had been quarreling with Tcemupa :vjl's relatives. Since the witch 

 did not wish to live any longer, he made no attempt to "seal her lips." Conse- 

 quently, as soon as the ailing Nyortc began to relate her dreams, it became 

 obvious that she had been bewitched by Tcemupa :va. This did not surprise 

 Nyortc's relatives who had suspected Tcemupa :va all along and had therefore 

 questioned the ailing woman rather carefully. However, for the time being, 

 they made no overt move against the witch, and merely "kept the matter in 

 mind." 



Eventually Nyortc — who seems to have been Tcemupa :va's only known vic- 

 tim — died and was immediately cremated. One night after the cremation, 

 Nyortc's two brothers of the Nyoltc gens, Atceyer Thume:, a 50-year-old man 

 and Ampot Tcavudho :, a 45-year-old shaman, both of whom were fullblood 

 Mohave Indians, decided to kill Tcemupa :va, even though he had never claimed 

 to have bewitched Nyortc. 



Since these brothers were both kwan&mi :hye (braves) and since, more- 

 over, Ampot Tcavudho: was also a "good" shaman who cured arrow wounds 

 and bewitched no one, the two brothers went quite openly to Tcemupa :va's 

 winter house at Parker, Ariz., where they found the witch asleep in the midst 

 of his relatives, none of whom tried to interfere with the killers. According 

 to one version, Atceyer Thume : held Tcemupa :va down, while Ampot Tcavudho : 

 slashed open his throat and belly. According to another and more reliable ac- 

 count, they beat him to death with sticks. Not even the victim's own wife and 

 children tried to save him, nor did they subsequently attempt to take revenge 

 on the killers. "The killing took place in accordance with Indian law, and 

 was therefore kept secret from the whites. For this reason, no oflScial action 

 was ever taken against the killers." 



Comment 



The cross-questioning of Nyortc by her relatives may have suggested to her 

 the idea that she may have been bewitched by Tcemupa :va. It is also note- 

 worthy that, even though this woman's brothers were famous braves, they did 

 not try to force Tcemupa :va to cure his victim, and made no move against him 



''^ Compare the personal experiences which caused Ahma Huma :re to become an ob- 

 stetrical specialist (Devereux, 1948 e). It is, moreover, a psj-choanalytic truism that the 

 choice of an occupation Is determined not only by objective considerations, but also by 

 certain unconscious factors. 



