36 



THE PIMA INDIANS 



(ETTI. ANN. 26 



more than a century ago, similarly numbered the years. A space of 

 tliree years would be expressed by the term "tliree pitahayas," 

 " yet they seldom make use of such phrases." ° 



THE PIMA CALENDAR 



It is said that when Elder Brother was leaving Pimeria for the last 

 time he told the people to count the tail feathers of the little bird, 

 Gisap, which are twelve in nundser, and that they should divide the 

 year into that number of parts. He gave them names for these 

 parts, except for the coldest and the hottest months. The writer is 

 disposed to regard the recognition of the "moons" as of recent origin. 

 Not many have any names for them and these do not agree even in 

 the same village. For example, the list of months given by the chief is 

 quite different from that fimiished by Ka'nu'd tkak, and also contains 

 references to wheat, which is of course modem. 



The months according to K&'mdl tk&k. 



1. Harsany paihitak inarsat, Saguaro 



harvest moon. 



2. Tcokiapik, Rainy. 



3. Rsopol usaplk, Short planting. 



4. Varsa kakatak, Dry grass. 



5. Huhokiapk', Winter begins. 

 C. 0am, Yellow. 



7. Ka-amak, Leaves falling. 



8. Aufpa hiasik, Cottonwood flowers. 



9. Aufpa i-ivakitak, Cottonwood leaves. 



10. Koi i-ivakitak. Mesquite leaves. 



11. Koi hiasik, Mesquite flowers. 



12. Kai tcokollk. Black seed.s on sagiiaros. 



Th( months according to Anto7iio A:ul. 



1. Pejkany paihitak marsat, Wheat har- 



vest moon. 



2. Har.sany paihitak, Saguaro harvest. 



3. Tcokiapik, Rainy. 



4. Rsopol usapik, Short planting. 



5. Varsa kakatak. Dry grass. 



6. Vi-ihainjik, Windy. 



7. Ovalik, Smell. 



8. Ku-utco s'hupitcik, Big winter. 



9. Kamaki, Gray. 



10. TcL-rtaki, Green. 



11. 0am, Yellow. 



12. Ka-ak, Strong. 



As they have no winters the Pimas naturally do not have a "winter 

 cotmt." As there are, two rainy seasons and neither is of any con- 

 se([uence as a general rule, wliile both are sometimes wanting alto- 

 gether, they could not be expected to mark the flight of 3'ears by the 

 recurrence of the rains. There are but two seasons in the Gila valley, 

 one of torrid heaf* and one of ideal weather throughout the remainder 

 of the year. The onset of the former coincides with the harvest season 

 and the new year is therefore adapted, albeit unwittingly, to seasonal 

 change. The year mark is invariably a deep notch across the stick. 



The records of the early years are memorized and there are few 

 minor notches to aid in recalling them. The year notches are exactly 

 alike, yet on asking a narrator to go back and repeat the story for 

 a certain year the writer found that he never made a mistake. Tak- 

 ing the stick in hand he would rake his thumb nail across the year 



1 The aboriginal inhabitants of the Califorman ri-mnsiila in Smithsonian Report, 18114. 38S. 

 (> Maximum temperature recorded for a period of nineteen years at Phoenix was 119° F. 

 of Cliief of Weather Bureau, 1900-1901, i. 



Report 



