The Mojave
(sometimes referred to as "Mohave") Indians are a tribe of the Yuman
linguistic stock. Yuman is a language of the Hokan Family,
spoken by various tribes from Arizona, California and Mexico.
The name Mojave is composed of two Indian words, "aha" which means
water, and macav", meaning alongside. The historic Mojave were
known as the Pipa Aha Macav,
- the people by the water.
The Mojave lived alongside the banks of the Colorado River, which
represented the center of their universe. The Mojave were adept
agriculturists, having mastered complex methods of irrigation to grow
crops of beans, corn and pumpkins.
The Mojave believed that performing rain dances would bring forth
rain that would help them grow bountiful crops.
They also practiced fishing and trapped small animals on the
riverbank, including rabbits, skunks and beavers, from which they
fashioned what little clothing they needed. the men would
normally spend their days in the nude, while the women would wear
beaver and rabbit skins.
Although their bodies were free of clothes, the Mojave often
adorned themselves with extensive blue cactus ink tattoos, which had
different meanings, i.e., slaves were identified by their chin tattoos
(see inset).
When not indelibly inking their skins, the Mojave decorated the
pottery and plates they made from clay and crushed sandstone with
beautiful geometric designs. The pots, along with beaver furs
and other goods would then be used in trade with other tribes from the
Pacific Coast.
The Mojave were sedentary, but their homes or "wikiups" were rather
simple in their construction, being made of upright logs covered with
brush.
Mojave funerals were highly spiritual proceedings; as mourners
cremated the deceased alongside their belongings and other gifts
offered by grieving loved ones for the journey to the afterworld.
This website was created in order to help you gain a better
understanding of the history and culture of the Mojave Indians, from
ancient history to the present.
We have added references, resources, and other relevant
information, as well as a discussion board you can use to exchange
ideas and talk about the current affairs pertaining to the Ft. Mojave
Native Americans.
