![]() They told her to go back to her village and take her son with her, and her husband would visit with her for four days and nights, but the catch was she couldn’t talk about it. She was mourned by her people because she was gone for a while. This way, the strength of the Coyote people and the strength of the Piipaash people would be combined, their son would grow up to be a strong warrior, and through that lineage and through his leadership, they would never lose a battle or have to leave their land. The Coyote people said that they wanted the young woman to marry their leader’s son and have a baby. The story goes that they traveled to the Coyote people’s village and the people took on human form, living like human beings. Her family thought she was dead because she disappeared. They sent two young men to the Piipaash village to have a young Piipaash woman to go with them. The Coyote people devised a plan to remain. According to the story, the Coyote people heard that and didn’t think it was right that they had to leave their home. The tribe was thinking of leaving the area for a time because of the chaos. ![]() We could handle one or the other, but sometimes with coordinated attacks, they would come from both sides.” Washington tells his daughter, “There used to be thousands of us, we were a big powerful group, but all of that warfare took its toll. The Xalychidom Piipaash were at war at that time with the Mojave and Quechan peoples. Some tribes there got along with each other, and others did not. The name of the people there, translated into English, is “Up River People” or “Northern People,” synonymous with being from up or the northern part of the river. The condensed version of the story begins once upon a time in the Parker area along the Colorado River. His daughter wanted to hear the Xalychidom Piipaash coyote husband story again. His children have heard the stories, but a night like this is a perfect opportunity to keep the stories fresh in the minds of the youth, in hopes that one day they will pass on the words to future generations as elders. On a chilly December evening, SRPMIC Director of Cultural Resources Kelly Washington and his family sit around a campfire at home. How we treat one another and view the world is our Himdag.” “They imparted our Himdag (way of life) in the lessons of the stories, the underlying constant that exists in all that we do. Jacob Butler, coordinator of the Community garden for SRPMIC Cultural Resources, said that in winter families would pass down creation stories and stories that had life lessons and ways of being. The traditional Piipaash and O’odham family and creation stories and harvests continue as usual for Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members who are not fazed by the limitations forced by the pandemic, and for those who feel a deep, necessary duty to keep cultural traditions strong during the winter months. Photo provided by Salt River Cultural Resources Department ![]()
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