History of the Hickiwan District, Tohono 'O'odham Nation

Abstract

History of the Hickiwan District, Tohono 'O'odham Nation Harry J. Winters Jr. (bio) The lands of the Tohono 'O'odham Nation are divided into 11 districts. The district boundaries reflect ancient patterns of ownership and use of natural resources such as farmlands, watering places, and areas for gathering food plants by different groups of Tohono 'O'odham. The Nation is governed by a Tribal Council with a tribal chairperson and a vice chairperson. All 11 districts are represented on the council. Each district has its own District Council with a district chairperson and a district vice chairperson. The Hickiwan District headquarters is at the village Vavhia Chiñ, Mouth Of The Well. This history is dedicated to the 'O'odham of the Hickiwan District. Many 'O'odham of younger generations are not familiar with the vocabulary used by their ancestors and even their grandparents and parents. One purpose of this history is to help them learn some of those old words which were so important to their elders. A list of 'O'odham words used in this history and their meanings is appended at the end of the history. If the meaning of a word or name is not in the text, look in that appendix. Location of the Hickiwan District The Hickiwan District is the most northwestern of the nine contiguous districts that include most of the Tohono 'O'odham Nation lands in the United States. The district's maximum dimensions are about 30.3 miles from the northeast corner to the southeast corner and about 28.6 miles east to west. The northernmost point of the district is in the Sauceda Mountains near the mouth of Couger Canyon and less than a mile [End Page 100] southwest of the mountain 'E'eḍ Vahudam, Barn Owl. This point is also about 1.75 miles southwest of the junction of two extremely important old 'O'odham trails at the hill 'Eḍa Kavolik, Kavolik In The Middle, so named because it sits right between those two trails and immediately southeast of their junction. See the Hickiwan District map. Click for larger view View full resolution Hickiwan District Map From the northwestern corner the boundary runs east across the southern end of the Sand Tank Mountains to a point about 5.5 miles north of Gagga village, spelled Kaka on U.S. Geological Survey maps [End Page 101] and meaning Clearings For Fields. At that point it turns north for 3 miles and then turns south-southeast and follows a slightly irregular course to the site of the old village Moik Vavhia, Soft Well, so named because digging the ground for the well was easy. Moik Vavhia was the easternmost well village of the people of Gagga as recently as the first part of the 20th century. From Moik Vavhia the boundary follows a zigzag course to the southwest, passing just east of the village Vavhia Chiñ, Mouth Of The Well. At a point 4 miles southwest of Vavhia Chiñ the boundary turns south-southwest and runs to a point less than a mile south of Arizona State Route 86 from Tucson to Ajo. At that point the boundary turns west for about 17.5 miles, passing just south of Nine Mile Peak, Bihinolik in 'O'odham, and passing between the old Gunsight mine on the south and S-Chuchuligk village on the north until it reaches the western boundary of the Hickiwan District and the Nation's lands. The name Bihinolik comes from the shape of the little butte. It looks like something wrapped up and slumped over. S-Chuchuligk means Place With Lots Of Chickens. It is also called Gunsight after the old mine. For its entire length, the northern boundary of the district lies along the southern boundary of the U.S. Air Force Barry M. Goldwater Range, in an active tactical area of that range. Establishment of the range, formerly known as the Luke Air Force Range, in 1941 cut off direct access of the Tohono 'O'odham from the villages in the Hickiwan District to the Lower Gila River via two ancient trails. For centuries those trails were very important to 'O'odham...