COCOPAH CUCAPA COCOPA

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I am just beginning this section on the Cocopah Indians (NOV 05).

Of course, as I know nothing about the Cocopahs, my writing about them may appear goofy for some time, at least until I get some help, or I plug away at it long enough — so as to not misrepresent the Cocopah Nation too badly as I learn on the job — my apologies in advance.


PLEASE VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE of COCOPAH INDIAN TRIBE of SOMERTON ARIZONA. NOTE: KUMEYAAY.INFO Cocopah information is "not official, nor endorsed, or authorized" by the Cocopah Indian Tribe of Somerton, AZ. Please visit www.cocoph.com for official Somerton tribal information.

The Cucapá call themselves Chaipei Ñuogua Ñuyiu, Juañal (people who come and go, Indians). Today's Cucapa Indians mainly inhabit three communities — one near Somerton, Arizona, another at Ejido Pozas de Arvizu, near San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, and El Mayor Cucapá Indigena, Baja California, on the Mexicali - San Felipe highway.

The Cocopah people are Native American Indians indigenous to Southern California, northern Baja California, Mexico, and southwest Arizona. The Cocopah Indians research shows the Cucapa Indinos are part of the Yuman Indians, and their language is based on the HOKAN languages of southwest USA.

My own experience with the Cocopah tribes began in 2004 when I visited El Mayor, Baja California, Mexico, to do some documentary video work for a friend, and I was greatly touched by the environmental tragedy there — how the lack of water, the poisoned water, is devastating wildlife and the lives of the Cucapa Cocopah Indigenous people, the aboriginal fishing village there: "Fighting Over the Last Drops as Colorado River Reaches Its End" CNN-AP rioweb.org.

It was on this trip to the baja fishing village that I photographed the above photo of this Mountain from the road. I later replaced the original setting tribal sun with a rising moon, and colorized the sky for a pretty moon-rise effect (instead of the original sunset which was too bright).

I am also including several video JPEGs in this photo gallery portfolio from my 2004 trip to El Mayor for a Kalim Smith multimedia video production — I now regret not shooting more stills on this trip.

• KUMEYAAY.COM writer Mike Wilken (link broken) writes some very interesting information about the El Mayor community.

COCOPAH BIRD SINGING MUSIC

Cocopah bird singers today still sing the tribal bird songs of the Yuman peoples and generally accompany their Native singing with shaking hand-held Indian GOURD RATTLES while Cocopah bird dancers join in — click "Audio" thumbnails (in left column) hear 2005 audio recordings of Cocopah singers Dale Phillips and Heraclio Tambo.

For an audio recording video movie documentary excerpt of Cocopah cultural singers, please see KUMEYAAY.INFO FREE ONLINE MUSIC VIDEO that features singers Dale Phillips, Cocopah, Onesimo Gonzalez Sainz, Cucapa, and Kalim Smith, Creek Indian, singing Cucapa songs on the Rio Hardy River bank near El Mayor, BC, Mexico, 2003.

• COCOPA INDIAN TRIBE HISTORY accessgenealogy.com:

• "COCOPA (ko'-ko-pa). A division of the Yuman family which in 1604-05 lived in nine rancherias on the Rio Colorado, five leagues above its mouth...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...".
  
  -accessgenealogy.com