by Maya York (2017)
The Yuma Indians consisted of various tribes. The Quechan, Cocopah, Hualapai, Mohave and some Maricopas. The Yuma were known for being religious, peaceful, moral, cheerful in spirit with the idea of goodness coming from their religion. The Yuma were a shy people, yet they would fight to the bitter end during a battle. Our group researched location, food and shelter for the Yuma Tribe.
Location:
Yuma Indians were nomadic, building oval shaped houses near the Colorado River, the Gulf of California and the Gila River. Relocating their homes according to the flood stages of the Colorado River, with scattered settlements called rancherias on the west side of the river near the present day Laguna Dam, and at the foot of the Chocolate Mountains. To the west they went as far along the Colorado River as Pilot Knob, the Baja-California, California border and the Sonora Mesa. To the east they reached as far as the Dome and Wellton area; also east of the river and north as far as Parker Arizona. (See Map.) We live close to the Los Angeles River, but we can not fish, swim or use the river for irrigation for farming like the Yuma Indians. I have seen homeless campsites on the Los Angeles river banks. Being a lover of chocolate, I wonder if the Chocolate Mountains taste or smell like real chocolate.
Food
Yuma Indians were mostly farmers. Each season they planted corn, beans, squash, melons, pumpkins, roots & herbs. They also harvested wild crops that grew abundantly along the river such as berries & nuts, mesquite beans, wild grass seeds and tobacco. Living near rivers, Yuma Indians fished for salmon and other kinds of fish with nets woven with small holes so water would drain out and the fish could not breath. Fish were used for food and fertilizing their crops. Yumas did not eat much fish as they did not care for the taste. The Yumas used a unique form of irrigation where flooding of the river caused little lakes in the area. When the floods subsided and only the lakes remained, the squaws would dig ditches from the lake to the crops for irrigation. During the summer women from the Yuma tribe gathered drooping pods, which were sweet and pulpy. The pods were dried, ground in wooden mortars, then soaked in earthenware pots. The sticky sweet mixture was sometimes made into balls as a kind of trail mix.
I love to eat crunchy trail mix, vegetables, fresh fruit, fish and fowl, but we buy them from Sprouts, Trader Joes or the local farmers markets. We do not have to hunt, farm or fight for our food, but my mom works several jobs to pay for our food. The refrigerator in our kitchen is full of healthy foods to eat located only a few steps away from my mouth.
Ceremony
The Yumas had religious ceremonies. One joyful fiesta type ceremony was mainly for the celebration of the bountiful crops. During these ceremonies they played flutes made from reeds along the river and rattle like instruments made of dried deer hooves filled with small pebbles. We celebrate Jewish holidays with festivals. We celebrate the harvest, called Sukkot. We also wear costumes during festivals and ceremonies like the Yuma Indians.
Game
Game was abundant in the form of deer, antelope, rabbits and various fowl which the Yumas hunted for food. The skin from the deer was used to make rawhide sandals. Rabbit skins were used make blankets. Yumas did their hunting with a small bow and arrow. I do not have to hunt for our food with a bow and arrow, but I have practiced shooting a bow and arrow achieving my archery badge in girl scouts. This activity was both fun and difficult. A way of life for the Yuma Indians.
Clothing
Yuma Indians had a unique style of dressing, creating their clothing from animal skins for cold winters and hot summers. Men wore a wrap around their private parts called a loin cloth. This cloth was woven from grass or bark fibers. Cloaks made from rabbit skins were worn if it grew cold at night. The Yumas were usually barefoot, but occasionally wore sandals. They adorned their hair with a pelican feather.
Women wore bear skin dresses and a cloth wrap around their arms. Necklaces were made from shells, leaves and twigs. Yuma Indians made dolls for their children from bark, dirt and leaves, twigs and cloth.
They wore willow-bark, knee-length skirts. Both men and women of the tribe wore jewelry made from shells and beadwork. They were highly skilled at creating beaded collars and necklaces with elaborate designs and patterns. Yuma wove baskets to carry their harvested vegetables which they carried on their heads. I do not wear rabbit, bear or deer skins but I do wear sandals and have strung beads to make my own necklaces.
Children
What interested me the most about Yuma Indians was they had time to give to their children. Even though it was hard to survive without washing machines, cell phones and computers, I think it is very sweet that Yuma Indians took the time to love, teach and care about their children. They made instruments and dolls for their children. My mom sews my clothes and made a doll for me. Women Yuma Indians carried baskets on their heads. I can hardly keep a hat on my head. I would have to practice carrying a basket on my head.
Yuma Indians were excellent at surviving because they were skilled farmers, fishermen, hunters as well as warriors in battle. Over all, the Yuma Tribe were peaceful people who cared about the land and the people of their tribe.
Bibliography
California Indians by C.L Keyworth pages 9 – 12- 13
Indians of North America THE YUMA by Robert L. Bee
Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes by Carl Waldman
Maya is a young writer living in Los Angeles. She wrote this essay as part of her Girl Scout writer's badge.