The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948 Page: 103
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Southwestern Historical Quarterly and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Book Reviews
goneria. Principally, her observations are confined to the Indians
on the Sells reservation, of which there was a population of
5,577 in 1940, in comparison to 513 on San Xavier reservation
and 127 at Gila Bend. Also some visits were made across the
Mexican border, where once there was a large Papago popula-
tion, but where now only one yearly Papago ceremony is held.
This book is divided into five parts-Introduction, concerning
historical background and ceremonial practices; "Communal
Ceremonies," including the rainmaking ceremony, ceremonies to
promote growth, hunting, intervillage games, the prayer-stick
festival; "Ceremonies for Individual Power," including warfare,
the salt pilgrimage, eagle killing, girl's puberty dance; "The Use
of Power," concerning shamanism and healers other than the
shaman; "Acculturation," describing modern ceremonial life.
Explaining ceremonial art, the author says: "Papago cere-
monial art, it would seem, found its best expression in words.
The scanty colorless costumes, the background of empty desert,
houses like earthen mounds had beauty only in their stark
simplicity. But the very passion of need sharpened songs and
omtory to a vividness which is often poetry."
Notes at the chapter endings give the present status of each
ceremony and are valuable in showing the relationship between
past and present. A statement concerning ". . the true authors
of the book, who are the Papago ceremonialists who painstak-
ingly dictated their rituals in order to make them available for
future generations," sets the tone for the whole volume and gives
it a scholarly flavor of authenticity.
Added value is given by a listing of the informers and inter-
preters, with pertinent information concerning each one. A good
bibliography is also given, and it is particularly valuable because
so little has been published concerning the Papago. The general
appearance and usefulness of the book would have been enhanced
considerably if photographs and other illustrative material had
been used.
W. C. HOLDEN
Texas Technological Collegeo03
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 51, July 1947 - April, 1948, periodical, 1948; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101119/m1/121/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.