Rezconnect Entertainment
April 18,2025
Clarence Gonzales/ REZCONNECT ENTERTAINMENT
A Family of Indians/ A Family of Indigenous (Baj"đi yev'ya)- Short article from the book Family of Indians
“On this land lay the most notable lineage of the Middle Mountain Pa’a and “Perhaps”, the entire Pai tribe”
As I look at our lineage from the Schrum (Cherum) lineage, it has family label as A’ Pa’ima and A’ Mohave. The Red Rock Band (Wi’ga hwa: đa: Ba) are the Mi’ Uka Pa’a – Watum Tehama, Middle Mountain area, the Middle Mountain Pa’a (Wi’ đ’uv: Mi’ Uka Ba), located in the Arizona tri- state. Kingman, Valentine, Valle vista, Bullhead and Golden Valley mountain scenery and land. A beautiful site as the sun sets daily.
A- lineage that are the land, is north of Whala Pa'a band Springs along the eastern base of the cerbat mountains. On this land lay the most notable lineage of the Middle Mountain Pa’a and “Perhaps”, the entire Pai tribe. These lands are the Ancestral lands of Watum Tehama, father of the historic Chiefs Tokoomhet - Cherum, his sons and Hualapai Charley. Hualapai Charley, had a full brother, named Lookup Dick, who never took a position of leadership. But, providing a part of the muscle for Tokoomhet. Panowia (Pa'ima), was a half brother to Cherum, Hualapai Charley and Lookup Dick. Based on the women that bore children to Watum Tehama. Was the connection of the manpower that moved the leadership ties of Tokoomhet and Hualapai Charley.
Not long ago an Uncle from my fathers side- relayed information about when he was a child. When he was a child he and my grandmother Mon’ya, (Lavonne Quasula- Gonzales), first lineage of Wauba Yuma, met with the Pai pai and were told that the Pai pai were family. The Mi uka Pa'a, Watum Tehama lineage, of the Middle Mountain and Yavapai Fighters- Western Hualapai.
The Yavapai- Tolkepaya’s, Yavape's, Wi’pukepa’s and Kwekepaya’s, were the “People”- Paya, of the Upland Pai. They were the people that considered themselves as four. People that are also called the Yavapai/ Mohave, then the Yavapai-Apache/ Mohave. They inhabited the Northern- American continent, but were through the Prescott, Camp Verde, Ft McDowell, through Pima wash and eventually connected to the Parker area of Arizona.
“The Yavapais speak a dialect of the Yuman language. Historically, all Yuman tribes lived near the Colorado River. Sharing a common creation myth that locates their origins at Spirit Mountain (Wi ka’ hme- Avi Kwa Ame).
Along the Colorado River near modern-day Bullhead city, Arizona and Laughlin Nevada. The Tonto Apaches, a subgroup of the Western Apache along with the White Mountain Apache and others, speak an Athabaskan language related to that of the Navajos. However, the Tonto Apaches became distinct. from other Western Apache tribes with their adoption of farming and their intermarriage with the Yavapais”- (Yavapai / Apache history)-
The Pai, Tokumhet/ TOKOOMHET, Chief Schrum (Cherum), was a Walapai Warrior and a leader of the Pai, Upland Pai and Yuman People. Schrum means to protect, in Sadam language. His brother was Chief Wa: ba Yuma, of the Yavapai subtribe fighters. Chief Schrum, a knowledgeable man like his brother and brothers of the Middle Mountain,Yavapai Fighters and Plateau People territories. The Hualapai like Havasupai are aboriginal “People”- Pai. There has been numerous material written about other Chieftainships around America. But none really focused on Chief Schrum. For four decades there has been no particular “Traditional”, ethnological ethics written. It's just the way it is from the Creator (Ba’ gi yo va), Mi'ya'alba'gwa. On Traditional ethics that People should follow. Our four Pai (People), Upland Pai and Yuman People, carry that old traditional way of the bird (Ja:bay), the bird spirit of creation. This is why we believe the land has a soul, everything physical has a soul.
When we look at the divide of the Culture of Hohokam. It is divided in four, this is how creation was, Pioneer, Colonial, Sedentary into Classic. The creation of mankind was similar in fours, like the Pai tribes that inhabited the Grand Canyon. They say the Papago- Pima People are direct descendants of the Hohokam People. Which in my opinion tells us of the mix of the “People”. It tells us that it’s a new generation of life and of the old world of America, Mountain People, cross of the Aztec-Mayan, Spanish cultures. Salt river, top Plateau of the Yuman People.
Then we go back to Mohawk Canyon, where the four from the canyon were, with the Hualapai, e'ya Huwal Tovokova. The Paiute, the Havasupai, Hopi (first people), and the Navajo. Back then the Havasupai lived in Prospect Valley (Whala cheva), National and Mohawk Canyon “The northernmost locality”, the Havasupai commonly occupied, with the Hualapai. Mohawk Canyon is where my Jiđa's family homestead is from, of Indian Honga- Pine Springs band.
The He: la Pa’a were of the leaders, from Mađwiđa, but of the Pine Springs band. It's a Paiute story that the two boys throwing mud balls at one another, then started fighting were Paiute and Hualapai children. In our Mađwiđa from Hualapai, it were just two boys- and from that incident divided the family or “People”.
On the eleventh and twelfth of April an Uncle (Toe Joe), and I traveled to the Pai. On that trip we sang and presented this very information to the people. As we enjoyed performances from the people- Havasupai, Yavapai ( Ft McDowell/ Prescott), Hualapai.
Cecil Ben (breakfast at We'ko Pa'a) elder
As Royal People of this continent (United States), we are not always perfect. We are mankind of the Ancient Eagle, of the Pine Springs band of the People.
Back in the day, gud dav, we circled, danced, and sang with the sacred gourd. Back then, we hit four times before we spun the gourd. Dancing seven steps up and seven steps back facing the girls, or facing the ladies.
In today's world, life is sometimes uncomfortable. We are placed in places with family elders and young children. As they say, we die a thousand times in life. Dealing with one, as a soul is of water. As the world formed with water, different percentages top to bottom. Then the land to compliment as a body compliments the soul- “Protectors Of the People”.
