182 THE PIMA INDIANS [eth. ann. 26 



SOCIOLOGY 



Family Organization 



relations before marriage 



Accurate information concerning the relations between the sexes 

 before niarriap;e can only be obtained from the oldest persons among 

 the Pimas, as the moral atmosphere has been heavily clouded since 

 the advent of the Americans and since the peril from the Apaches has 

 ceased to exist. With all their surjilus energies expended in war- 

 fare, the young men formerly lived exemplary lives as compared with 

 the youths of the last generation, who would chase and even lasso 

 any girl that the}' could catch. Xevertheless, the conditions were 

 never as bad as among the Yumas of that period." Before the Pimas 

 came in contact with "civilization" chastity was the rule among the 

 young women, who were taught by compelling precept, though ever 

 witnessing the demoralizing example of free and easy divorce. 



PUBERTY DANCE 



A girl reached the age of puberty at 11 or 12, sometimes as early 

 as 10. The acquirement by a young woman of the (to them) wholly 

 mysterious functional characteristics of the age of puberty ren- 

 dered her an object of concern and distrust to the elders. When 

 the fact was discovered her mother selected some favorite woman 

 friend, not a relative, in whose charge she placed the girl for a period 

 of four days. During this time the preceptress taught her how to 

 perform such household tasks as she may not already have learned; 

 also the principles of industry, honesty, chastity, and the like. They 

 cooked their meals and ate together apart from their families. When 

 not otherwise engaged the gu'l occupied her time in making a basket 

 which must be given as a present to the elder woman. She talked 

 little; if she wished to scratch her head she used a stick — to use the 

 fingers at this critical period would cause lice. She dared not blow 

 the fire or her teeth would come out. 



There was "danger" in the girl that must be breathed oat by songs 

 ere she, the members of her familj^, and the community as a whole 

 were exempt from the hazard of the lightning stroke and other 

 perils. Woe to the girl who concealed her condition, for the medicine- 

 man's magic would enable him to discover the culprit and shoidd 

 accident befall he would ascribe it to her. As a matter of fact, how- 

 ever, some gh"ls avoided the "coming-out" ceremonies as long as 

 possible and when the parents were poor no dance was held. When 

 the parents had a sufficient supply of food on hand to entertain with 

 becoming hospitality they invited friends and neighbors to participate 



Compare Rusling, The Great West and the Pacific Coast, 361. 



