Halchidhoma

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The Halchidhoma were Indians of the southwestern United States and belonged to the group of the River Yuma - with whose other representatives they once lived along the Colorado River. Today many refer to themselves in English as Maricopa of Lehi , since they fled from the enemy Quechan and Mohave to the Maricopa ( Piipaash or Pee-Posh - 'people' or 'people') on the Gila River around 1825 and joined them - them were able to keep their own identity and therefore refer to themselves as Xalychidom Piipaa or Xalychidom Piipaash ('People who live toward the water' - 'People who live by the water, i.e. along the river').

Their language, the Xalychidoma chuukwer (usually referred to as Halchidhoma ) as well as the Piipaash chuukwer , the language of the Maricopa, belong to the branch of the River Yuma languages , which belong to the Hokan language family , and have the greatest linguistic similarities with Hamakhav , the Language of the Mohave .

residential area

Their residential area was on the lower Colorado River in Arizona, roughly in the area where the Gila River meets the Colorado. Their northern neighbors on the river were the Mohave , while in the south lived the Quechan and Maricopa, to whom they were closely related.

history

The Halchidhoma were probably first visited by Hernando de Alarcón in 1540 , although he does not mention them in his report. In 1604 and 1605 she visited Juan de Oñate . During this time they lived in eight villages on the Colorado, below the confluence of the Gila River. Father Eusebio Kino came to them in 1701 and 1702 while they were living on the Gila River. When Father Francisco Garcés visited them in 1776, they lived in rancherias that stretched on both sides of the Colorado about 50 km above and below Williams Fork .

The various tribes in the southwest were already organized in pre-Hispanic times into various loose defensive and tribal alliances - especially in order to be able to assert themselves against the river Yuma and Apache, known as fearless warriors.

So did the various O'Odham groups against the enemy, to the river Yuma counting Mohave , Quechan and Cocopa and against the Western Apache , Chiricahua Apache and their allies, the Yavapai , a group of Highland Yuma organized.

When the Spaniards, with their better organization, greater resources and better weapons, offered the O'Odham protection against their enemies, they allied themselves with the whites in a large Indian-Spanish alliance, together with the Opata , Pima Bajo (Lower Pima) , Tepehuan , Pueblo , Ute and even the warlike Comanches against the Apache and their allies.

It is known that the wars between the River Yuma were generally highly ritualized, harsh and cruel - and soon the weaker groups could no longer withstand the pressure of the Quechan and Mohave - so that the Maricopa along the Gila River to the west to the Akimel O'Odham fled.

The Halchidhoma initially moved further north, up the Colorado River, but were soon driven south again by the Mohave and finally found refuge together with other friendly River Yuma tribes - the Kohuana , Halyikwamai and Kavelchadom - in the 19th century the Maricopa on the Gila River. They subsequently united with them and in future were referred to by outsiders as “Maricopa”. They allied with the Pima for protection against their common enemies. In 1857 the long-running conflict between the tribes was finally ended by a decisive defeat of the Quechan against the Pima and Maricopa.

Way of life

Their way of life was largely similar to that of the other River Yuma, but especially the Maricopa. After the last flood in the spring, families went out to plant or sow corn, beans, squash, and grain in the cracks of the drying mud. Wild plants, especially mesquite beans, and fish supplemented their nutritional needs.

Demographics

James Mooney estimated their population at 3,000 in 1680, but this number is based on Garcé's report from 1776, which gives 2,500 tribal members. Alfred L. Kroeber thought these numbers were too high and estimated only 1,000 members for 1770.

Todays situation

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) is inhabited by the Onk Akimel O'Odham (also On'k Akimel Au-Authm - 'people who live along the Salt River', a subgroup of the Akimel O'Odham ), the Tohono O'Odham , the Maricopa of Lehi ( Xalychidom Piipaash , descendants of the Halchidhoma) as well as some Keli Akimel O'Odham (also Keli Akimel Au-Authm - 'people who live along the Gila River', a subgroup of the Akimel O'Odham) .

literature

See also