English Translation
33. The False Shaman
Sam Kenoi
They were on the war path.
They stopped for the night.
They were afraid.
"Someone who may have power will perform a ceremony for us.1
He will learn what is [in store] for us."
Then [to] one of the men:
"This one has power."they said to him.
Then that man did not want to do it,
But they asked him again and again.
Then:
"All right! You people want it.the man said to them.2
Therefore, some distance over there to the westward,
[tie up] a fat horse which is the fastest [you have],
put a good saddle on him,
tie a good blanket to him,
tie a good rope on him,
[and] a good gun [and] a belt filled all around with cartridges [you tie him up over there].
Then, right away, it will be known."
Then they did everything for him exactly in that way.
There was a moon.
One could see well right there.
The men with whom he went about did not like [that] man.
Then, now, he had begun to sing.
He prayed.
He knew nothing about it but he had moved his arms about.3
He ran outside.
He went over there where the horse had been tied up.
Then he jumped on the horse.
He rode away.
Then those men sat around waiting for him.
A long time passed.
"Where has he gone? Go search for him."they said.
Then one of them went over there.
He looked about where the horse had been tied up.
He came back [to them].
Then he spoke thus to those men:
"I looked where the horse had been tied up. The horse is not there. He has apparently gone off with the horse."he said to the men.
Ethnological Notes
Morris Opler
33.1
This is the ceremony for locating the enemy. [See Ethnological note to Chiricahua text 34, note 1].
33.2
The directions of the shaman cannot be questioned, no matter what taboos, restrictions, and requirements he may pronounce. To do so is to indicate lack of faith, which in itself is fatal to the success of the ceremony.
33.3
In this ceremony [See Ethnological note to Chiricahua text 34, note 1], the shaman moves his arms about.