Sacred Texts  Native American  Southwest 

Tales of the Cochiti Indians

by Ruth Benedict

Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin No. 98

[1932]

This is a collection of texts from the Cochiti, a Native American Pueblo tribe of New Mexico. Ruth Benedict gathered these texts in the early 1920s in the field with her mentor at Columbia University, Franz Boas. The texts range from mythological to autobiographical, and give us an unparalleled look at the inner life of a Native American group.

In her selection and commentary Benedict focuses on some interesting points. In Pueblo culture, women are considered the equal of men, and these tales show women exercising choice in their lives, engaging in specialized occupations, and taking action when wronged. This is reflected in Cochiti theology, which includes a cosmogenic mother (the moon, here called 'Our Mother') and father (the Sun). The texts also show the Pueblo as having positive attitudes about sexuality, (albeit also placing high value on marriage and family). Benedict, refreshingly, did not censor or translate into Latin the portions which previous scholars would have considered too explicit. The texts also show the darker side of traditional Southwestern life, where suspicion of malign witchcraft could lead to dire consequences; and the incessant low-level conflict with adjacent tribes, in this case, the Navajo.

Benedict was one of the first modern ethnographers. This collection is a classic, and an enjoyable read as well.

I. Origin Tales and Stories of the Katcinas

II. Hero Tales

III. Novelistic Tales

IV. Animal Tales

V. European Stories: Märchen and Noodle Tales

VI. True Stories

Discussion

Appendix