11/12/2023 0 Comments Native american spirits![]() She then implicated her nephew, a boy of 16 years, a common thief. In October, an old woman was hung up in a like manner, as a witch, until she confessed. The drought continued, and the witch excitement spread. After receiving more threats, the man left the pueblo, and a Mexican, who took pity on him, gave him a home. A poor old man was accused, and he was hung up by his wrists tied behind his back. It was said that someone must be keeping away the rain. In August 1889, accusations of witchcraft were agitated because of drought. We do not want you to interfere, but we want you to allow us the same privileges as you white people claim.” And they added, “ If you will tend to your own business, we will tend to ours.”Īnother report indicated that a Zuni Indian killed a woman of the same pueblo, believing her to be a witch and that she had caused the death of his children. When questioned, the Indians replied, “We have our government and laws, and what has happened is all right. The agent reported the incident to his superiors at Santa Fe, New Mexico, who came to the Zuni to hold a council. The Zuni said that he had brought sickness and death to some of the people. In 1880, an Indian agent reported seeing a man tied up by his wrists behind his back and lifted so that his feet could not touch the ground. ![]() Reports indicated that in March 1855, Indians of the Nambe Pueblo in New Mexico butchered three men and one woman of their village, most horribly, for alleged witchcraft. Over the years, several reports were made regarding Zuni witchcraft and its punishment. When the United States obtained New Mexico and other areas of the southwest, Indian agents were sent out to monitor the Indians and attempt to change their culture. After the Pueblo Revolt, the Spanish relaxed their restrictions on the Pueblo culture, and the belief in witchcraft continued. Though the Spanish, when they ruled the Southwest, tried to change the culture of the Pueblo tribes, including their belief in witchcraft, they were unsuccessful. If the accused revealed the source of his/her power, he might be released or, at least, saved from execution. If the accused was found guilty, he was hung by the wrists and tortured until he confessed. The Bow Priests were also responsible for examining the accused and reviewing the evidence. Because the council was supposed to be removed from any violence, the Bow Priests, who were associated with war, enforced their decisions. The Council of High Priests decided who the witches were, and the Bow Priests were tasked for their executions. At one point, witchcraft among the Zuni was the only recognized crime. ![]() Further, any disharmony among the people or infractions of proper behavior were also equated with witchcraft. Further, they had to continually kill or perish themselves.īecause of this requirement to continually kill, witchcraft was blamed for any disaster of magnitude, like droughts, epidemic diseases, or floods. Rather, they had to live on the unexpired lives of their victims by capturing or indoctrinating their souls. The Tewa believed that witches accompany people daily and are defined as those “of a different breath.” However, they had a different physical and spiritual existence, not like “common” humans. In fact, the concept of a witch was tied to the concepts of life and human origin, with the people believing that witches existed alongside humans and not apart from other living beings. Magical powers were not always differentiated as good or evil, with the people using their magical skills for several purposes. According to oral tradition, a pair of witches came up from the underworld bringing the people two gifts: death to keep the world from becoming overcrowded and corn to feed the people. ![]() For the Zuni, the belief in witchcraft goes back to their earliest times, included in Zuni creation myths. Like many other indigenous tribes of the United States, the Zuni believed in magic and witchcraft.
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