﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  SIERRA 
  NEVADA 
  — 
  PARK 
  885 
  

  

  for 
  a 
  festival. 
  Formerly, 
  the 
  drinking 
  of 
  intoxicating 
  beverages 
  was 
  

   confined 
  largely 
  to 
  religious 
  rites, 
  but 
  now 
  secular 
  festivals 
  afford 
  the 
  

   occasion 
  for 
  more 
  frequent 
  community 
  drinking 
  bouts. 
  

  

  The 
  Cdgaba 
  now 
  make 
  intoxicants 
  only 
  from 
  cane 
  juice; 
  the 
  lea 
  use 
  

   yuca, 
  agave, 
  and 
  maize. 
  The 
  preparation, 
  as 
  the 
  drinking, 
  of 
  the 
  

   fermented 
  beverage 
  is 
  a 
  community 
  undertaking. 
  Women 
  and 
  

   children 
  participate 
  in 
  both 
  phases 
  of 
  the 
  activity. 
  

  

  RELIGION 
  

  

  The 
  religion 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  complex 
  feature 
  of 
  

   the 
  culture. 
  There 
  is 
  evidence 
  that 
  the 
  religious 
  beliefs 
  and 
  practices 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountain 
  people 
  were 
  heavily 
  influenced 
  by 
  the 
  Tairona. 
  A 
  

   relationship 
  between 
  Sierra 
  and 
  Tairona 
  religion 
  is 
  indicated 
  in 
  part 
  

   by 
  the 
  Cdgaba 
  priests' 
  use 
  of 
  Tairona 
  words, 
  by 
  similarities 
  in 
  training 
  

   of 
  novices, 
  and 
  by 
  references 
  to 
  the 
  Tairona 
  as 
  people 
  with 
  secret 
  

   knowledge, 
  songs, 
  and 
  magic, 
  and 
  as 
  Godlike 
  people, 
  characteristics 
  

   which 
  are 
  also 
  ascribed 
  to 
  Cdgaba 
  priests 
  (Preuss, 
  1919-26, 
  p. 
  40 
  ff.). 
  

  

  Cdgaba 
  religious 
  beliefs 
  are 
  concerned 
  principally 
  with 
  spirits 
  that 
  

   are 
  often 
  malignant 
  and 
  with 
  ancestors, 
  particularly 
  the 
  ancestors 
  of 
  

   the 
  priests 
  (mamas). 
  The 
  chief 
  figure 
  is 
  Gauteovan 
  12 
  , 
  the 
  mother 
  

   of 
  all 
  things. 
  She 
  created 
  the 
  sun 
  out 
  of 
  her 
  menstrual 
  blood, 
  and 
  

   she 
  brought 
  into 
  existence 
  the 
  demons 
  who 
  cause 
  illness. 
  

  

  The 
  supernatural, 
  the 
  secret 
  powers 
  of 
  man 
  and 
  nature, 
  and 
  the 
  

   magical 
  powers 
  of 
  the 
  ancestors, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  thought, 
  intention, 
  will, 
  

   and 
  feeling, 
  are 
  designated 
  by 
  the 
  term 
  "aluna." 
  

  

  The 
  esoteric 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  priests, 
  particularly 
  the 
  songs 
  which 
  

   are 
  inseparable 
  from 
  the 
  dance, 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  means 
  of 
  influencing 
  

   the 
  supernatural, 
  including 
  the 
  demons 
  who 
  cause 
  sickness, 
  misfortune, 
  

   and 
  death. 
  In 
  these 
  efforts 
  the 
  priests 
  are 
  aided 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  masks 
  

   that 
  are 
  the 
  faces 
  of 
  the 
  spirits 
  and 
  the 
  demons. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  the 
  knowledge 
  and 
  magical 
  power 
  to 
  control 
  

   supernatural 
  forces, 
  the 
  priest 
  must 
  undergo 
  9 
  years 
  of 
  training 
  as 
  a 
  

   novice. 
  Sons 
  of 
  priests 
  or 
  other 
  likely 
  candidates 
  are 
  chosen, 
  the 
  

   latter 
  being 
  adopted 
  as 
  sons. 
  During 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  training, 
  the 
  

   novice 
  must 
  not 
  eat 
  salt 
  and 
  must 
  forego 
  many 
  foods, 
  particularly 
  

   those 
  introduced 
  in 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  Spanish 
  influence. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  

   acquiring 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  priestly 
  lore 
  and 
  sacred 
  rituals, 
  the 
  novice 
  

   must 
  serve 
  the 
  priest, 
  working 
  in 
  his 
  gardens, 
  carrying 
  wood, 
  and 
  

   weaving 
  cloth. 
  Only 
  after 
  he 
  becomes 
  a 
  priest 
  is 
  he 
  permitted 
  to 
  

   marry. 
  

  

  The 
  priests 
  not 
  only 
  practice 
  the 
  rites 
  that 
  ward 
  off 
  disease, 
  cure 
  the 
  

   sick, 
  control 
  the 
  weather, 
  and 
  assist 
  the 
  souls 
  on 
  their 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  

   afterworld, 
  but 
  also 
  they 
  possess 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  herbs 
  and 
  roots 
  

   that 
  are 
  used 
  in 
  curing 
  many 
  forms 
  of 
  sickness. 
  

  

  "Known 
  by 
  many 
  variants 
  of 
  this 
  name, 
  but 
  this 
  form 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  more 
  widely. 
  

  

  