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When The Old Timers Went Deer Hunting (Zuni) - Andrew Peynetsa
Original pgs 76-81. Alcheringa 1-3
andrew_peynetsa-_when_old_timers_went_deer_hunting_zuni_pages_from_alcheringa_1-3_winter-1971.pdf
Overview
This piece was originally communicated orally by David Peynetsa and was collected and transcribed by Dennis Tedlock in 1971. It is a brief conversational piece formatted somewhat like poetry. It describes some of the Zuni deer hunting rituals/behaviors that Peynetsa estimated to take place around the 1700s-1800s. He speaks about how long hunting trips would take, what the men would do once they got a kill, and some of the bad luck that might occur during the trip, among other topics. He also briefly compares and contrasts the deer populations of the old hunting trips and the trips that took place closer to present day, one involving a man that his father had been friends with, from whom his family received deer meat.
Context
The Zuni tribe is native to the Zuni River Valley and the tribe now owns additional trust lands in New Mexico and Arizona. It is believed that the Zuni people farmed the Zuni River Valley from about 3,000 to 4,000 years, planting primarily maize. They were also known to hunt both deer and elk, among other game animals, and relied heavily on the meats from their kills to support their populations. Within the piece “When The Old Timers Went Deer Hunting,” it is mentioned that each man would hope to kill a deer for his family and one man, brought along specifically for his skill at making jerky, would treat the meat to ensure it would not spoil and go to waste. At the end of the hunt trip, which according to Peynetsa would last about one week, the men would divide the meat, bones, and hides evenly between the entire party, including the one who made the jerky from the deer meat.
Early Zuni settlement. credit@ Britannica
