Cocopa Indian
Tribe History
Cocopa (ko'-ko-pa). A division of the Yuman family which in 1604-05
lived in 9 rancherias on the Rio Colorado, 5 leagues above its mouth.
At a later period they also extended into the mountains of Lower
California, hence were confined almost. exelusively to Mexico.
According to Heintzelman, in 1856, the tribe was formerly strong in
numbers and could muster 300 warriors; their total number was estimated
by Fray Francisco Garcés in 1775-76 at 3,000, but there are now
only 800 in north Lower California, in the valley of the Rio Colorado.
The Cocopa were reputed to be less hostile than the Yuma or the Mohave,
who frequently raided their villages; nevertheless they were
sufficiently war-like to retaliate when necessary. Garcés said
of them in 1776 that they had always been enemies of the Papago,
Jalliquamai (Quigymna), and Cajuenche, but friendly toward the
Cuñeil. Although spoken of as being physically inferior to the
cognate tribes, the males are fully up to and in some cases rather
above normal stature, and are well proportioned, while the females
appear also to be of at least ordinary size and are also well
developed. Heintzelman says" they so much resemble the Cuchan (Yuma) in
arms, dress, manners, and customs it is difficult to distinguish one
from another." They depended for subsistence chiefly on corn, melons,
pumpkins, and beans, which they cultivated, adding native grass seeds,
roots, mesquite beans, etc. The Cocopa houses of recent time range in
character from the brush arbor for summer use to the wattled hut,
plastered outside and in side with mud, for winter occupancy Polygamy
was formerly practiced to some extent. They universally cremate their
dead. The Cuculato are mentioned as Cocopa division and Llagas as the
name applied by the Spaniards to a former group of Cocopa rancherias.
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