Introduction

As a group our project focused on the San Xavier del Bac mission located just south of Tucson, Arizona. We broke the research into four separate parts, Father Kino, the Papago (O'odham) Indians, San Xavier del Bac Mission, and Southern Arizona. Our research focused on primary and secondary sources related to the San Xavier del Bac mission.

The content found in this blog is used for educational purposes.

Papago Indian Lifestyle

 In the primary source Papago Women by Ruth M. Underhill, Underhill interviews and writes about the lifestyle of a Papago women named Chona in the 1930's. Chona was born on the reservation where she experienced the Papago traditions, ceremonies, and lifestyle. Chona's family and surrounding neighbors all lived in grass houses. Chona's father was the cheif of their village and she learned many skills through her brothers, father, and husbands. Women were not recognized as shamans or healers so Chona was never officially a healer in the community. Other Papago Indians around Chona knew what she could do so they brought their children to her anyways. Chona experienced Papago religious ceremonies first hand, but did not discuss their background or stories. The picture is of a grass hut, the women outside is fixing a basket. The Papago Indian women were very handy around the home, but were not allowed to be a part of many religious ceremonies the Papago performed. 

Papago Indians: San Xavier del Bac and Father Kino

In Ruth M. Underhill's Papago Women, the contributions Father Kino made to the Tohono O'odham people. Father Kino traveled Arizona creating missions such as San Xavier del Bac just south of Tucson. He was the first important contact the Papago Indians had with the whites. Altough Father Kino's establishments benefited the Papago, it did not make the desert land in Arizona desirable to move to. Father Kino taught the Papago to spend their winters at locations with missions established, instead of out in the cold with little or no food. Father Kino traveled the Pimeria Alta several times and began baptizing Papago and giving them Spanish names. Centuries after Father Kino had died, some of the introductions he made to the Papago Indians remained intact. 

Father Kino's Legacy

Kino died at the age of sixty six while on a visit to one of his former foundations, Santa Maria Magdalena de Buquivaba in 1711. The primary function of the friar or padre was to spread the Cristian gospel, but he also became a powerful promoter of the white man's ways and civilization. He brought faith and many other things such as new agricultural products. He brought forth many new techniques to help the indians inprove their way of life. The mission brought the white mans food and draft animals to the indian population. He also brought new architectural techniques, along with education.

Kino was honered in both in the United States and in Mexico, various streets, schools, towns and monuments are named after him.  A park with statue of Kino resides in the city of Nogales, AZ. His remains are still on display today in Magdalena de Kino.

 





The remains of Father Kino in Magdalena de Kino.

Father Kino

This picture illustrates Father Kino on one of the many journy's he would take on hourse back. He was seen bringing cattle and wheat into regions where there npt any available. In 1695 Kino commented that at Tumacacori ( location in Arizona) were sheep and goats, and that there were fields of wheat and maize. Maize, or corn, was native, but wheat and livestock were introduced. He also saw that there were earth-roofed houses of adobe, which is the first indication that the natives were beginning to use adobe bricks for house construction. Kino would also see a rise in the number of cattle in the Sothern regions of Arizona. This being the leading cause to the cattle industry in southern Arizona.

Father Kino's interactions with the natives

While going through his travels of the Pimeria Alta, Father Kino had ecounters with 16 different tribes. Some of these tribes would have land that would border the Pimeris Alta, yet others would cross the border just to come see Father Kino. Kino would also make an effort to go and visit with tribes. Some of the tribes that he met are Tohono O'odham, western apache,  Hia C-ed O'odham(which he call yumans),opata and seri to name a few. The Tohono O'odham were the main tribe that he a had encoubters with since they lived near the San Xavier Del Bac mission.

TOHONO O'ODHAM FIDDLE MUSIC



Father Kino's Lifestyle

Father Kino was not one to be in favor of slavery. He was not in support of the compulsory hard labor that the Spaniards would force onto the native people in the silver mines. This would cause a problem with his co-missionaries. Many of his co-missionaries acted  by the laws incorporated by Spain on their territory.    Father Kino was most interested in bringing the Spanish Government to a realization. He was also a writer, he would write about religion, astronomy, and cartography. He would go and build missions across the senora dessert and upward into present day Arizona. (San Xavier Del Bac).

Father Kino also liked top practice other crafts such as making wooden model ships. He had great knowledge about maps and ships later led him to believe that the Mexican Indians could access California by sea. He then later would build a ship and push it across the Sonoran Desert  to the Mexican West coast.