A Yuma Cremation

An 1892 cremation of a young man named Antonio who died suddenly began when his body, rolled in a blanket, was carried across a river and placed in front of an open lodge. Tribal members gathered around the body and lamented for hours before the chief selected 6 strong men who went into the woods to cut timber for the funeral pyre. Shamanistic rites were conducted until the pyre was lit. As cremation occurred, tribal members wailed and groaned. When the pile crumbled, the sounds ceased. The next day only a few mesquite beans were scattered over the surface. Ashes had been gathered, placed in a hole below, and the ground smoothed over.