tewa ethnobotany-2

8/6/2019 Tewa Ethnobotany-2

1/46


2/46

The ba rk of the tr ee, dr ied an d groun d fine, is boiled un til it becomesred. When the liquid is cool, deerskin is soaked over night, andth en is dyed red. Sometimes the bark is chewed and the juice is eject-

ed on deerskin, which is then rubbed between the hands.Many

th e a lders h ave been u sed by n oncivilized peoples in dyeing.

. & a ~ & 3 tew@e, m ou nt a in Tewa-fru i t (fjiq, mountain; Glocative; tewh, Tewa; $e, roundish fruit). Cf. teuh~e, Tewf ru i t , Sericotheca dumosa.

Betula fontin alis. Str eam side Birch.

P e ke$y, h a rd st ick ($e, stick; &e, hard) .Celtis reticulata . Ha ckber ry.? New Mexican Spa nish palo duro

The Tewa a nd Span ish n am es ar e descriptive of th e cha ra cter of th ewood. Wheth er t he Tewa na me is merely a t ra nslation of th e Span-ish remains to be determined. Handles for axes and hoes are nowmade of the wood.

The berries were eaten.

ni$.


3/46

At Santa Clara the leaves, li$ka (iig, juniper; k a , leaf), are used bywomen t he th ird day after childbirt h. The leaves ar e boiled in wat er;a litt le cold wat er is a dded, an d the decoction is set beside th e pa tient ,

who is left a lone for a sh ort tim e. Sh e r ises an d bat hes hers elf withth e decoction a nd a lso dr inks a sma ll qua n tity. At Sa n Ildefon so t hetr eatm ent is the same, except th at a woma n st ays to assist her t o bathe.

At Hano a lying-in woman is fumigated on the fourth day afterdeliver y with hgkaZa , jun iper leaves (hg, juniper; kaZa, leaf), placed on

hot coals in a vessel; some families use another plant, but juniper ispr obably th e on e gener ally employed. Form erly th e lying-in wom andrank an infusion of juniper l eaves during the first four days afterdelivery; but now, following the Hopi custom, she drinks plain war mwater for twenty days. 2

The jun iper is regar ded as hot, and almost every part of it i sm edicine for cold conditions. At Sa n Ildefon so the leaves a r e usedas medicine.

At Hano th e leafy twigs, hgkai?a (kai?a, leaf), after being toasted onthe embers are bound tightly over a bruise or sprain to reduce the


4/46

Hipo t&, J un iperus m onosperm a flower (hg, J u n i p e r u s mosperma; jvoB1, flower).

_iY&wo (I$,, Juniperus monosperma; w)o ( ?)).Juniper?.68 wopuzoTV.6m. New Mexican Spa nish cedro.

The wood of this tree is red.P~i!o, deer pion (ps , mule deer; 80, pion tree).Picea engelm an n i. Engelmann Spruce.

This tree is found at the higher elevations where deer are moreplentiful. It is sa id tha t deer a re fond of sta ying am ong th ese trees.

& U ~ Y (cognate with Jemez hw@, Pinus brachyptera).Pinus bachypterya. Rock Pine, Western Yellow Pine. Ne

Mexican Spa nish pinavete. (See pl. 2, b.)At Hano two qwsq&aZa (VW%, rock p ine ; kaZa, leaf), rock-pine

leaves, is at t ach ed to each of the pra yer-feat her s, PeZe, which ar e pre

par ed during th e fan ta i cerem onies in December .pine for th is purpose are fetched by a runner.

Branches of roc

!Z% (cf. ?o, pion nut).Pinus edu l i s Pion P i n e N u t P i n e New Mexica n Spa nish


5/46

Z%Zq (&?, Populus wislizeni; ~8, as in ?$fiq, salt , an d &unq t u rquoise).

P o p u l u s a cu m in a ta . Rydbergs Cottonwood_Populus angustifolia. Narrow-leaf Cottonwood, Mountain Cot-

tonwood.ZV&W&Populu s trem uloides. Aspen . (See pls. 2, a,3.)

At San Ildefonso the leaves of this tree are boiled and the decoc

tion is dru nk for u rina ry troub1e. lHodge 2 gives _SZna- tdbaas a t r ee (birch ?) clan a t Na mb.

2%Popu lus wislizeni. Valley Cottonwood.

This is t he common cottonwood along the Rio Grande. The Tewa

are more familiar with it than with any other large broad-leavedtree, and they use i t more than any other. 3 The wood is used formaking many artifacts, notably the tet @@e, cottonwood drum (tePopulus wislizeni; t@m 6e, Hano Tewa, @m m ek , d r u m ) . E n g l i s h


6/46

squash blossom . The fem ale per form ers ca rr ied sprigs of spr u ce inth eir right ha nds, concealing th eir wooden r asps, ~wqmpe. On tafternoon of the day preceding the dance the five capitanes wentthe forest, cut eight young spruce trees, and brought them, unob-served, to the village; and after midnight these were planted in theplazas, two at each da ncing place. These were referred to in the so

woon&, beautiful; & & w & , greenness, green thing; 7~4, it ; n@, to present). Spru ce bran ches worn or car ried by dancers at San ta Clar a

ar e always th rown into the Sa nt a Clar a River when th e dan ce is over.Cert a in clou ds a re r itu a lly ca lled spr uce clouds, &oA h w a, ath eir per son ifica tions ar e ca lled spru ce-cloud boys , i&?oKuwaee~and spruce-clou d gir ls , &eojY uwaaTafi~~.

At Hano th e Douglas spr uce, &Ze, is used in a lmost a ll th e wint erdan ces; th e dan cers wear spru ce twigs m ade u p with yucca fiber int ocompact neck-wreaths (called ~~y&&eZe~eti to , th eir spr uce neckweaor figuratively kat&za ~rn$i~waa, ka ch ina s n ecklaces), a nd a lsocarry branches in their left hands, called merely im?j&eZe, thspruce As n o Dou gla s spr uce grows n ear Hano it is procured from


7/46

their people to the upper world, they planted first a teajo, White F irand next a &eZe; when both of these failed to pierce the roof of theunderworld, they planted a po! reed, and by this the people climbedout. This version coincides with th e Ora ibi a nd Sh ipau lovi stories

The New Mexican Tewa sa y tha t t he SQW~, pine-squirr el, eat s t heleaves of the & e.

Hodge 2 gives 2%tdba as a tr ee clan at San Ildefonso.

Tenu&ig k w s , winter oak (tienu&, winter ; k w z , oak).Quercus undulata. Evergreen Oak .

This is a sm all evergreen species abu nda nt on t he m esa sides.X%%$Quercus ut ahensis. Utah Oak.

This is th e comm on oak along t he st rea ms. The a corn s were u sedfor food. 3 The wood was used for making digging-sticks and many

oth er t h ings, including bows an d war -clubs.a word connected with ~?WZ&XY~ Mexican.

Ir on is ca lled k,w&gq~,The first syllable of th ese

two words sounds exactly like kwz, oak.

At Hano oak is used for making rabbit-sticks embroidery-stretch-


8/46

Artemisia filifolia, sotiokuaw&pe,is sometimes confused with Arm esia can ad en sis.

_Pjb s & j , white ra bbit-bru sh. Artem isia filifolia.

S ee so$oiYuwd&e,above.

Ademisia tr identata Rocky Mountain Sage, Sagebrush. NewMexican Spanish ch a m iso h edion do, s t inking greasewoo

.

estafiata, estafiate.The dr y bush es a re u sed for fu el where n o firewood is ava ila ble, as

for example, on the journey from San Juan to Taos.All the New Mexican sages ar e used at San ta Clar a in t he tr eatm ent

of indigest ion , a nd th is species, t he most pu n gent of a ll, is consider eda very effectua l remedy though disagreeably s t rong. I t is cer tainlyusefu l in dispelling fla tu lence, It is a lso sa id t o be a good r emedy fora con st an t feeble cough with ineffectu al expector a t ion . In both caseth e leaves ar e chewed and swallowed.


9/46

Ea%upk, tobacco pipe plant (sa, tobacco; &IL, stone; pe, stick,plant.

Ed win ia Am ericana Wax Flower.


10/46

The slender branches are bound together and used as tap&&brooms (ta, grass; pte%& of obscure etymology), for rough outdoorsweeping.

Arr ows ar e ma de of th e str aight slender bra nches.At San Ildefonso women steep the leaves in water until they are

S c p a . Lycium pallidu m New Mexican Spa nish t om tilla.

Th e Hopi eat th e berr ies of th is plan t.P~pte%&, deer weed (pz, mule deer; pte7n&k, weed).Pachistima m y s i n i t e s .

_Hii t&n&+ (hg, Juniperus monosperma; t s i n & + ( !)).Phoradendron juniperinum. Mis t l e toe .

This plant grows abundantly on the one-seeded junipers (see p. 3in t he r egion. It is said th at deer eat it .

It is ground, mixed with hot water, and drunk when one feels ach ill in t he st om ach.

soft, a nd wa sh th eir ha ir in t he infusion, to promote its growth .


11/46

Eiif Qk Ribes sp. Gooseberry.

P 0 f g g , t h r ows ou t wa te r (PO, water ; t tc~, to throw out)

The na me r efers t o th e juicy cha ra cter of th e plant . Ribes inebrians. Currant. New Mexican Spa nish manzan i ta

The fru it is eat en. The wood wa s u sed for ma king bows.

_ P q w $ & th orn y p lan t ($e, st ick, plant ; y w g , thorn) .?

Mi&t$e , ca t plan t (ww&, domestic cat; p te , stick, plant). Robinia neomexicana. Locust. New Mexican Spanish ua

gato , cats claw. The wood wa s u sed for makin g bows.The Tewa n am e, ti2z+&@e, is probably due to Spanish influence; at

least it is n ot pr e-Spa n ish, for m u & i is not a na tive Tewa word, but th e sam e origin a s Coch iti r12&g, etc., appearing in ma ny Sout hwesternlanguages. Tewa U W& is somet imes ra th er incorr ectly applied to th ewildcat.

Kta a


12/46

J a q & & Hano Tewa,Sal ix ? sp.

sour willow (jm-~, willow; 8&, sour).

Like the ordinary willow, jag, but the bark is green, not red LIt is used t o cover r oofs, pra yer-sticks, a nd u J u +?, ar e made of it.1 grows on a hill, therefore called j~~P , a few miles sout h of Fir st Mesa.

Ja!lS alix argoph ylla. Willow. New Mexican S pa n ish jara.S alix irrrata Willow.

,&g was u sed for basketr y 2 an d man y oth er pur poses.Willow charcoal used as body paint is called &PYJ&T (&p,, black

ness, black).Hodge 3 gives Ytin-td6a as a Willow clan a t Sa nt a Clara .

la r ge willow (J ?Ilg 9 Salix irrorata, Salix argophylljo, augmentative).

Salix cordata,. Willow.

S chm altzia bak eri( ? ) . Skunk-bush, Three-leaved Sumac. NewMexican Spa nish Lemita


13/46

The roots of this plant provide an excellent lather; until the intro-du ction of comm ercia l soa p, it was t he only wa shin g medium used byth e India ns of New Mexico an d Arizona a nd t h e New Mexica n Sp a n-iards, and it is still used for washing woolens, heavy native cotton

fabrics, feath ers, and h um an ha ir. After being bruised with a stone(generally one of the grinding stones), the roots are put into coldwater to steep. After a few minutes they are briskly stirred andru bbed with th e han d un til a good lath er is produced; th e fibrous par tsar e then removed and t he lath er is ready for u se. The lat her is called

o/co (Hano Tewa, oVOZO), and the name is extended to commercialsoap. In cerem onies lat her repr esent s clou ds, okhwa,The Tewa wash their hair about once a week, and also after per-

forming dir ty work , after a journey, and before taking part inceremonies. Before a pu blic da nce all th e inh abita nt s of a pu eblo, aswell as t he a ctu al dan cers, are expected t o wash th eir ha ir. At Hathe people wash their hair early on the morning after the conclusionof a series of ceremonies, whether a public dance follows or not; inth is way th e actu a l perform ers a re sa id to wash off th eir cloud s.

The Tewa of Hano like the Hopi accompany all ceremonies of


14/46

An infor ma nt from Sa n Ildefons o described t he u se of @a as a r i tuemetic; the person chews it (part not specified, possibly the root) andthen dr inks water.

The leaves were sometimes bak ed an d eat en by tr avelers when oth erprovisions failed.

Mr. A. F. Bandelier kindly allowed the writers to quote from hisma nu script notes on t h e uses of yucca a t Cochit i in 1882 :

Fishing was done in former times with long nets made of threads of palmancha (Yucca baccata), which were stretched across the river, weighed down bystones, and kept floating by gourds and inflated skins. . . . The thr ead of th

palm illa an cha was pr epared a s follows: In May or J un e, th e govern or sent out m ento cut t he leaves of th e plan ts a nd gath er th em in ha nds. They dug a hole inthe ground and kindled a large fire in it; after the ground had become thoroughlyheated, the embers and ashes were cleared out and the leaves placed in carefully,covered with brush, then with stones, and finally with a layer of earth. On

top of this another large tire was built and left burning over night; the leaves werethus well baked. Then th e ha nds were car ried t o the pu eblo, an d a s t he leavesbecam e very sweet, th e boys chewed t hem up , extr acting th e fiber, ha-tyafii-g&go&hwhich they carefully laid aside, each bundle by itself, returning it to the housewhere it belonged That fiber was twisted into thread and strips of netting made


15/46

alone or in combination with cotton, was of great importance as aweaving mat erial. Fur of beaver, otter, or rabbit was incorporatedwith yucca cord or twisted around it to make warmer or more ornmen ta l fabr ics.

In descr ibing a pr e-Spa nish cave bur ial site pr obably of th e Kere just out side th e Tewa doma in, Dr. E dgar L. Hewett says: 1

The body was f i rs t wrapped in a white cot ton garment . . . The outwrapping was a robe of otter or beaver fur . . . ma de by twisting a small ropeof yucca fiber about an eighth of an inch in diameter; then with the shredded fiberof the eagle or turkey feather, the fur was bound upon the cord, producing a furrope of about a quarter of an inch in diameter, which was then woven into a robewith very open mesh.

Numbers of fur-wrapped cords were found in a large cave higherup t he can yon. Similar cords are now worn by the kodtaw (clownat th e Keres pu eblo of Sa n Domingo. 2

P 7 z r n g ( $ a , Yucca baccata; rng, unexp la ined) .Yucca glauca. New Mexica n Spa nish p a l m i l l a .

This species is sma ller t ha n t he $a (Yucca bacca ta ), but r esembles itconsiderably.


16/46

2?@?eq (no etymology).? - . New Mexican Spa nish palo duro.

H E R B S

_Pob% G &y, white flower (~~~~~,flower; I%&, whiteness, white). Achillea lanulosa. Yarrow, sneezeweed.

S L Hano Tewa, &u . Allium recurvatu m . Wild Onion.

Sometimes called a&qn&, pr a ir ie on ion, or aZiQn&e, litt le pra irieonion (a%Qq, plain; G, onion), to distinguish it from the cultivatedonion introduced by the Spaniards, by which it has been supersededin New Mexico.

The Tewa of Hano, like t h e Hopi, kn ow a nd u se t wo species of wild

onion:_akonsiu,

field onion, growing on high ground, which isgathered, washed, and eaten raw, usually with broken waferbreaddipped in wa ter ; an d W # U , wind onion (wg, wind; &, onion), growing on lower groun d, which is sm a ll an d a lmost ta st eless.


17/46

This plant is used in the same way as dGVz&i$e (see p. 44), buis less valued, since it grows in t he lowlands nea r t he villages, wherea s

Artemisia filifoliais brought from th e moun ta ins.W a fi op k , milk plan t ( w a , breast , udder; P O , water; $ e , stick,

plant). The plan t is called t hu s when youn g.Ojaqw;, (oja, unexplained; QW~, fiber). The plant is called th us

when ma tu red an d its fibers ar e usable.

Asclepias sp. Milkweed.The roots were eat en r aw. The imma tu re pods also were eaten.

Cf. Y J j a q w i t s i p ~ ~ , page 67.

Str ing an d rope were made of th e mat ur e plan t.

Im u tak a (im u , unexplained; ta, ? grass; k a , ? lea f).

Asclepias sp.A rem edy for sore brea sts, at San ta Clar a.

Wo poR , medicine flower two, magic, medicine; ~072, flower).Campanula petiolata Bluebel l

Artem isia frigida. 1


18/46

8Gm$e, porcu pine p lan t (&gq, porcupine; @e, stick, plant). Datu ra m eteloides. Datura . (See pl. 5, b.)

Seeds of this plant were found in perfect condition in the largecommunity house in Rito de los F r ijoles Can yon . The Tewa of th epresent day seem to ma ke n o use of th e plant. 1

Okuw&pe, cloud plant (oiYuw& cloud; $ e , stick, plant). Eriogonum a n n u u m .

POE? t & J w & ~ , blue or green flower (PO%, flower; t&igwq, blue

green).T o w n s e n d i a exim ia. Eriogonum divergens.

Po jZka , three leaves (poj?, three; L?a, leaf).Fragaria ovalis. Strawberry.

?Awi.Galium triflorum. Bedstraw.

ZW&&W~, hot tooth (VW%, thorn; t s&ywq, hot).G a l i u m sp ? Be ds t r a w


19/46

Kojaji. Ha no Tewa, kojaje ( < Span. ?).Gutierrezia longi fo l ia . New Mexican Spa nish yerba de vibora a

coyaye.This plant grows freely in the sand about t he Tewa villages. I t is

eat en by live stock.At Santa Clara the midwife gives a mixture of kojaji, ~~tarnis

(see p . 44), a nd aa, na tive toba cco, to th e pa tient in t h e form of snu ff.The pa tient is also fum igat ed by placing kojaii on h ot coa ls on a p &(base used in making pottery), over which she stands, wrapped in ablanket. The same remedy is used for painful menstruat ion. At San

Ildefonso a n ewborn child is fum igat ed in t he sa me wa y.At Hano k0jaie, as well as a smaller plant resembling it, called

k0ja je &%ije, you nger brother of kojaje (fr esh or , in winter , dr ied),is boiled in w a t e r an d t h e decoction given for gast ric distu r ban ces.a case of gast r ic influenza with violent vomiting a nd bleeding from t he

st oma ch, th ree h a lf-pint doses a da y were given. A fresh decoctionwas m ade da ily an d t he t rea tm ent was cont inued for five or six days.Fresh green liojaje, chopped fine, is rubbed on the skin around the

ear to relieve ear ache.


20/46

At San Ildefonso the chewed leaves are put on a sore or swelling,an d at Sant a Clar a t he roots a re used as a remedy for diarr hea.

E+&~w$G, mountain slope (jj$v, mountain; VW+, steep slope)Why th e plan t should be ca lled th us could n ot be explained.

Laciniaria punctata. Blazing Sta r.The r oot s were ea t en a s food.

7 h-Oka

Lappula floribunda Stickseed.

~ e %& &wViv, brown weed (peE&%, weed; 6 , brown). Lup inus aduncus. Lupine.

Toqmbe. M a rt yn ia sp.

The open seed-vessels, wound about with woolen yarn, are some-times used at Sant a Clar a an d at Hano in ma kin g a r t ificial flowers fordancers hea ddresses. 1

p e fi& i%QV& sticky weed ($e@$ weed; i?&$ sticky


21/46

cold medicines, it is used in the treatment of fever: the leaves arechopped or finely ground, and the powder, slightly moistened, isru bbed on th e pat ient s hea d, face, and limbs a nd inside his mouth , and

a l so g iven h im in waterdrink. & & i@$ is said to &a r emedy for sor e eyes, buth e meth od of ap plicat ion h asnot been ascert ained.

At Ha no th is plan t is cookedand eaten.

Fe?Q3E ~wq%3$W$7jst icky podded weed(pe%@%,weed; ~wthorny, thorn; t@,

sticky).Oreocarya m ulticau lis.

QwLGpe, in a r ow plan( bi line row; j$


22/46

This thick fluid is poured on a board to dry and soon becomes hard-ened. I t may be kept in ha rd cakes for an indefini te per iod. When

needed th ese ar e soak ed in h ot wat er u nt il of th e consistency neededfor pa int .Guaco is also used as a food. The hardened cakes are soaked in

hot water , and t hen fried in grea se.The finely ground plants are mixed with water and the liquid is

dru nk as a rem edy for stoma ch disorder s; or somet imes fresh plant swra pped in a cloth ar e applied to th e abdomen .

Hano Tewa K U & ~ or kw+?g. Hopi, tgmi.Peritom a serrulatu m 1.

This plan t is of su fficient econ omic import an ce to be na med in son gswith th e th ree chief cultivated plan ts, corn , pumpk in, an d cott on.is gathered in spring, and, after long boiling to rid it of the alkalinetaste, is eaten with f akeud (cornmeal porridge), a small quantity of salt being added at th e time of eat ing?

OkG$ %& l d (i&Z l $ fi&% d) C


23/46

P g j q , Hano Tewa($g, apparent ly Chrysothamnus bigelovii; J $unexplained). Cf. p t@Q ?~ , page 59.

Portulaca retusa (Hopi pihala) . 1

This plant used t o be eaten , cut up fine, in gra vy.Lvimpte, ear th sta lk (x@, ear th ; pte, stick, stalk, plant).Ptiloria sp.

_P~&LQuamoclidion multiflorum. Four-oclock. (See pl. 5, a .)

An infusion of the ground roots in water is drunk for cases ofswelling, probably those of dropsical origin. The roots after beinggroun d a re m ixed with corn flour to impr ove the t ast e.

?A%@! (


24/46

Fin ely powdered r oots a re a pplied to woun ds ca us ed by sn ak e bitesand to sores in which cons iderable pus appears . The pus is said tbe drawn out by the action of this remedy. 1

The skin from the roots is pounded into powder; water is added toma ke a paint , which is used on t he face prepara tory for t he da nce.

_i!iFo 6 awe, medicine for broken a rm s (Fo, a rm; fa , to breakwo, medicine).

Potawo, medicine for broken legs ( ~0, leg; ta, to break; wmedicine).

Taraxacum taraxacum. C o m m o n D a n d e l i o n . N e w M e x i c a nSpanish consuelda.

The youn g plant s ar e eat en as greens.The leaves groun d fine ar e used in dr essing fra ctu res. At Sa n Ild

fonso the ground leaves, reduced with water to a pas te , are spreaover the fracture, and fresh leaves of the same plant bound over itwith r ags. At Santa Clara a cloth spread with leaves on which groundconsuelda leaves are sprinkled is tied over the fracture. Consueldlea ves groun d an d mixed with dough a re a pplied to a ba d bru ise


25/46

Hano Tewa, 2Cojaje &tije.a -

See under kojaji, page 56.

p g &$oiq, buff-colored rabbit-brush ($q , Chrysothamnubigelovii; &to , buff-color, buff -colored).

? -

The galls of this pla n t ,$$jee (p & rabbit-brush; ee, ball; e, diminut ive), groun d up an d dru nk in wat er, ar e a good th ough very str ongmedicine for the stomach (Santa Clara).

CACTIs z

Opuntia. Pr ickly Pear Cactu s, Roun d-leaved Ca ctu s.Opuntia camanchica. Prickly Pear Cactus, Round-leaved Cactus.

(Pl. 6, b, shows the Opuntia camanchica.)The fruit of both of these species is eaten; it is called a&je, prick

pear (~q, prickly-pear cactus; #e, fruit), or sqqw&e ($q, O p u n t i aqwq, thorny; be, ba ll, roundish fru it), thorny roun d fru it of Opuntia


26/46

VINES

Any kind of vine is called a$%.

L4& 9oFw&l, downy vine (apt%, vine; O&U,downy, down).Clem atis ligusticifolia Clematis.

When the vine is in fruit the long plumose styles are said to look like th e down of a n ea gle.

K a ~ ~ ~ & . $ ~ , tie leaves vine ( k a , leaf; gwi, to tie; a &g , vine) Hu m ulus lupulu s neom exicanu s. H op .

GOURDS

P oo+ ( p o , squash, pumpkin; oje, unexplained).Cucurbita foetid issim a. Wild Gourd. (Pl. 7, b.)

The roots ground fine and stirred in cold water are drunk as alaxative. l

For cultivated squa shes, see page 100.

GRASSES AND GRASSLIKE PLANTS


27/46

Ta ~ o%J , ha iry gra ss @a, grass; $ 0 , ha iry, ha ir). Elymus canadensis Wild Rye. Lycu rus ph leoides. Texan Timothy.

&rnjj&ta, ch irpin g gra ss (j$rn f@, to make a noise by blowingthrough a pinched grass stalk, by blowing on a grass leafheld between the two thumbs, or by putting a grass leaf between th e two lips an d su cking; ta , grass).

T~,pipi , grass whistle (ta, grass; pz$i, onomatopeic, connected

with @@r@~~, to chirp; see below.).Panicum barbipulvinatum . Pa nic Gra ss.One may say of the note produced by holding a leaf or leaf-sheath

of this grass between the lips and sucking: fj@at&ewagk n@@afj~it chirps like a moun t ain bird @iv, mounta in ; &side,bird; wag&like; CWX,it ; ~ @@@J , to chirp thus by means of grass).

Lit tle bun dles or br ooms m a de of th is gra ss ar e used by th e women.

for cleanin g met at es an d metate boxes.Ykideta ,bird grass (&Ae, bird; $a, grass).


28/46


29/46

Tajo, large grass, boss grass (ta, grass; jo, augmentat ive) .Carex sp. Sedge?1 - - -

Awa (un explain ed), a kind of ca tt ail.This h as n ar rower leaves tha n awapta, below.

Awapa (awa, a k ind of ca t ta i l ; p t a , l a rg e , t h i n , f l a t a n droundish). This has lar ger leaves th an awa and $ a is addeto distinguish it as r egar ds th is featu re.

T yph a l a t i fo l i a . C a t t a i l .Aware (awa, a kind of cat ta il; a e, unexplained).

.

? -A kind of ta ll str aight-sta lked wat er gra ss.

-P f$bw am pte, frog weed (&~&wGz, frog; $ e , s t i c k , s t a l kplant).

? Described as a k ind of ru sh.


30/46

At San Ildefonso corn smu t stirr ed in cold water is dru nk as a cufor diar rh ea. At Sa nt a Clar a some women use i t in th e same way asa r emedy for irregular menst ru at ion. 1

X&q, valley cottonwood stew (te, Populus wislizeni; a %, st esauce).

? This is a fungus growth found on the ground near, or on the decay-

ing wood of, a cottonwood tree. When boiled and eaten it is con-sider ed a delicacy.

ojaqwitsip~~, m ilkweed eye pus (o~~TLu~,milkweed, Asclepiasp. see p. 54; tsi, eye; j9%9, pus).

? - - - - ,

A reddish cream like scum on st agna nt wat er.This is seen on pools along the Rio Grande. It has l i t t le sme

This substa nce is not u sed by th e Tewa.

P e t & stained, stain, moldy, mold.? -0 Mold, Mildew.


31/46

This plan t groun d tine is used on t he l ips as a r emedy for coldsores.

MOSSES A N D L I C H E N S

Mosses and lichens are called merely Eou2, tegument, skThe na me of th e substa nce on which th e plant grows is usu ally p joined. Thus: &VOW&, moss growing on rock, literally rock skin@XL,rock; Fow&, tegument, skin).

Mosses groun d a r e app lied to th e lips a s a r emedy for cold sores.At Santa Clara &uL?ou& is ru bbed on sores a bou t a childs m out h,

a n d a lso pu t in to th e cavity of a d eca yed tooth to stop pa in.

N@,?a, Hano Tewa (~$9, ear th ; a, clothing). Lichen sp.

At Hano a lichen, n@ga, is applied to the teeth and gums to curetoothache.

SCOURING RUSHES

F?oJeP~4 (120&3,apparent ly potLe, fishweir; ?Z~J,~;stiff object, leg


32/46

Very few Tewa are acquainted with this plant; it does not grow inthe Tewa country. Many individuals were quest ioned about i t . Atlast a Tewa wh o ha d been in th e sout her n pa r t of New Mexico so de-scribed it t h at it was r ecognized as t he m esquite. The fruit is calletiae$erng, eagle plant pods (& , eagle; $e, stick, plant; 71~~ podThis inform an t said th at th e screw mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) pus ed t o be obta ined from th e Mescaler o Apache. These were twisteinto the ear as a cure for ojeptohe, ear-ache (oje, ear ; $ 0 , holh e, sick, sickn ess). Cf. Fa%e, page 73.

lYii% 20, buffa lo nu t (k&, buffalo; 80, n u t ) .? - Walnut. New Mexican Span ish nogal.

Wild walnuts used to be gathered by the Tewa when they huntedbuffa lo in t he Arka nsas River va lley. Walnu ts a re st ill called 7@%but more often merely 20, nu t s.

Tu jjiJi%, red kernels ( tu , kernel; j%, red).?

A lar ge red seed, resem bling one of the seeds of a r ose; the plan t isor 3 feet h igh an d has leaves like th ose of a rose The tree (?) is said


33/46

A woody stem used for coloring deerskin, called by the Yavapai% k w & Z a , was ident ified by a m an at San ta Clar a a s a r emedy, appliedexternally, for spots on the face and arms, for throat-ache, or any

oth er pain.1 -.Vagnera amplexicaulis. False Solomons Seal.

The ripe berr ies were eat en.

A sa pb (asa, unexplained; $ a , large and flat).

? - -A sma ll p l a n t th at grows in t h e hills behind Sa n Ildefons o.

_iGjpk, planting plant (ko, to plant; p t e , plant).? -

An inform an t a t Sa nt a Clara gave th is na me, probably in error, to

a dr ied specimen of Villanova dissecta._hTiyle is ment ioned a s a plan t wh ich is bur ied with corn a t planti

time t o promote t he growth of th e latt er.

Zi?$W $ b ff l l t (k$ b ff l $ e l t)


34/46

small quan t i ty of sugar. The paste is applied over each temporalar ter y and on th e foreh ead between th e eyebrows.

-&@a~&~ (mqnt&


35/46

A kind of st ra igh t-sta lked weed said t o grow s ix inches high an d toh ave no flowers (Sa n Ildefonso).

At San ta Clara a similar n am e, paedope (pa9 fish; t iop e, meanin

un certa in), along with th e Spanish n am e yerba d e pescado, was a pplieto a broad-leaved plant having fleshy tap-roots, the m4saxeya of thYavapai. The roots, dried and ground fine, were said to be preparedand u sed as a sa lve for pimples on t he face an d n ose.

_P&%$~Wig, snake palo duro (psf@, snake; qzvq ? Cercocarpus

A

A

parvifolius).? -kind of shrub.

P@Z@iiW&~ black-green (P&I, black; i%&~w~, b l u e , g r e e n )Z -

plant having dark foliage and a yellow flower.P e %g B % rjw&iv, t h or n y weed ( $ e % & , weed; gwq, t ho rny

thorn).? - . Comm on t hist le.


36/46

A plant which grows in t he m oun ta ins. It resem bles th e firepokeof our gardens.

.Po#p7jtu (pog$q, --; t lb, kernel) .Z -

A San Ildefonso inform an t sta ted t ha t th is plan t grows low on th eground in the hills. The seed-pods are six inches long; these aregathered when ripe and are eaten after being roasted in hot ashes.

An informant at Santa Clara gave this, probably in error, as thena me of th e Mesquite, which h e professed to ha ve seen on t he Mexicanborder. Fr om t h e seeds, ca lled pq~%t~~ (p~g~Qg, - ; tu , kernean d from which th e plan t evident ly gets its na me, flour was m ade.

pogws (PO, water; qwz, 1 Cercocarpus parvifolius).1 - -

Sa id to be a kind of her b which Tewa boys use a s a p erfum e.

h o&@?, dr y wat er plan t (PO, water; &z, dry; $ e , stick, stalplant).

? - - -

Thi i ki d f d h b h


37/46

by one of the old informants who had been thinking it over foseveral weeks.

The plant is said to resemble tspte (p. 68).

E w e , swelling medicine (G , swollen, a swelling; w o7 magicmedicine).

1

This plan t is foun d on t he h ills east of San J ua n Pu eblo.The r oot of t he plan t p oun ded is applied to swollen pa rt s.

A

A

T 8 i f f_.jL? -

kin d of shru b.

T~&o~WQ~ (& , white; tiop%?~&?).2 -0

weed which resem bles t he d ust y-miller of our gar dens. It is saidto look as if it had been rolled in gypsum or dust. It grows in themoun ta ins an d in th e lowlan ds.

T &?i d k l (t k l i d)


38/46

K e p e , Hano Tewa (ke, apparently ke, bear; 0 , berry).

? - - - -

R e d berries gat hered and eaten in sum mer.

z%&o&j?$ Hano Tewa (pa&o, said to be an old word; &e, yellow)Hopi, t o % h m a .?-

A plant with yellow flowers somewhat resembling Gutierrezia.This plan t wa s for mer ly cooked with m eat , or, dipped in s alt wat er,

was eaten with new corn.

Sojom,eZe$e(Ha no Tewa ), u r ina l-pot plan t (~$0, urine; wele, popte, plant).

Z -

A plant bearing lar ge round ish seed-vessels.

F Gje@, Hano Tewa (Lzje, unexplained; 6 , sweetness).? Atriplex sp. Orache.

At Hano th e youn g leaves and stalks are eaten, boiled, in spring.


39/46


40/46


41/46


42/46


43/46


44/46


45/46


46/46

tewa ethnobotany-2

Documents