Hohokam Religion
The Origin of Irrigation
The Hohokam god Siuuhu was an earth-bound deity, one of three major
gods (the others being Coyote and Earth Doctor). Siuuhu created the
people in the Second Creation. The original people were destroyed by
the gods in a great flood which covered the earth. When the flood waters
subsided, Siuuhu emerged from his house before Coyote, thus proclaiming
him the senior god.
Siuuhu plays a part in the myths surrounding the origin of irrigation.Here are three versions:TOWA QUAATAM OCHSE
The people of a settlement near modern-day Mesa could not build a canalbecause the ground was too hard. They asked Siuuhu to aid them. He sangmagic songs which softened the ground, allowing the people to excavatea ditch. Yet no water would run through it. Siuuhu advised them to consultTowa Quaatam Ochse, an old woman who lived near the ocean, and enlist herhelp. She was summoned, and she told the people to wait for her in theircouncil house. However, she did not come to the council house. A manpassing in the night observed her standing at the highest point of the canal blowing medicine along the ditch. Soon a great wind came, digging out a wide channel. After that, water ran freely in the canal, and the people could irrigate their crops.SUIK
The people who lived near Suik (Red Mountain, near the present-day GraniteReef Diversion Dam) were informed by Siuuhu that the rains would become infrequent, and that they should build a canal. The people saw that this was true, so they gathered to plan how they would build this canal. It wasdecided that a canal should be built right below Suik, so they dug withpointed sticks and used their hands to throw out the dirt.However, when the canal was complete, water did not run in it. They enlisted the help of a medicine man, who went to the canal and walked, singing: "There lie the ditches
And among them I am walking.
And among them I am breathing,
Heading the water."
This did nothing, so they summoned another medicine man. This medicine man sang:"There lie the ditches
And I stood in the midst.
I'm making the winds blow,
I'm making the water go."
This sent dust devils down the canal. The water moved a little, but thenretreated. They found another medicine man. He used the power of the wind,singing:"By the side of the river there lies a canal.
In that canal the water is making signs
Of pretty decoration."
The water moved down the canal, but not in sufficient quantity. They foundstill another medicine man. This medicine man plucked a hair from his head, placed it in the water, and sang:"There lie the canals,
And in the midst of these I stand
Making water-hair snakes."
At that, the water flowed in great quantity. From then on, the people could build canals and irrigate their farms.TAWQUAHDAHMAWK
The people who lived on the south side of the Salt River decided to makea canal, rather than depend on the people of Pueblo Grande, who had a canal. But when they finished it, it would not work because it ran uphill.Furthermore, the canal could not be made deeper because it was in limerock. They sent for Siuuhu, but Siuuhu could not help them. He advised them to send for Tawquahdahmawk, who was an old woman, but wise.
She came at once, but did not meet the people. Instead, she went directlyto the canal, bringing a fog with her. She left the fog at the top of thecanal, near the river, and walked the course of the canal to see how muchuphill it ran. When she reached the uphill point, she blew the BitterWind (seev-hur-whirl) through the canal. The wind tore up the bed of thecanal, throwing rocks out on each side. When this was completed, the fogdammed the river, and water flowed through the canal. In this way, the people had water for their crops, enabling them to prosper as those downstream from them.AFTERTHOUGHTS
Though these tales are mythical, they do seem to be based in fact. Theground in Arizona would prove difficult to dig with primitive equipment.Furthermore, the logistics of creating a downhill-flowing canal would bedifficult as well. The first and third stories are similar, and it is interesting to note that it was a woman who solved the Hohokam's irrigation problem, revealing that the Hohokam did not share the same beliefs of women that were present in Europe at the same time. The Hohokam communities who knew how to irrigate shared their skills withthe other villages, thus creating commerce between the groups.
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