256 THE PIMA INDIANS lETH.ASN.li6 



Near the summit of one of the lava-formed Santan hills is a small 

 cave in wliich the Hohokam placed sacrifices. A number of articles 

 were discoveretl there a quarter of a century ago and sent to some 

 eastern museum. Since that time the Pimas tleposited the body of a 

 child and some other things in the cave, which were secured by an 

 jVi-izona collector in 1 901 . The cave is known as Va'rsa Ya'-ak, Basket 

 Lying, because it contained a basket such as the Pimas use for their 

 medicine paraphernalia. It was discovered by two Pima warriors, 

 who were serving their sixteen-day period of lustration for having killed 

 Apaches. The basket contained sinew from the legs of deer, and sticks, 

 which the finders assumed to be for the same purpose as those with 

 which they were scratclung their own heads at the time. 



When a medicine-man dies his paraphernalia, if not transmitted to 

 his descendants, may be placed in an olla and hidden under a heap t>f 

 stones in the hills. He may also sacrifice a part of his stock in a simi- 

 lar way during his lifetime. The property of warriors is sometimes 

 similarly cached. 



Such places were formerly respected by the tribe, but they are now 

 robbed with impunity to get ''relics" to sell. A man at Pe-e'plJtciltk' 

 informed the author's interpreter, Jose Lewis, of the location of one 

 of thest' caches in the low hills south of Casa Blanca. We found that 

 a number of concretions, crystals, shells, a bird carved from stone, 

 and a war club had been deposited in an olla with a bowl turned over 

 it, rendering it water-tight. The whole had been hidden under a heap 

 of stones at the summit of a spur of the hill about 4 miles from the 



villages. 



Medicine-men 



There are three classes of medicine-men among the Pimas. Those 

 who treat disease by pretended magic are known as Si'atcokam, Exam- 

 ining Physicians. As many women as men belong to this order, 

 to wliich entrance is gained chiefly through heredity. This is the 

 most powerful class in the community, though its members pay for 

 their privileges at imminent risk. How great this risk is may be .seen 

 from the calendar records, page 38. The Si'atcokam were more 

 numerous than the other classes. Those who have power over the 

 crops, the weather, and the wars are called Makai, Magicians. 

 Only one or two women were ever admitted to this order among the 

 Pimas. There were usually about five Makai in each village. 

 These two classes were the true rulers of the tribe, as their influence 

 was much greater than that of the chiefs. Their combined strength 

 was for years turned against the missionary. Rev. C. 11. Cook, but 

 their influence is now fast waning and several medicine-men have 

 become avowed Christians. From these converts information was 

 obtained that in all probability could not have otherwise been secured. 



