f the people's selfishness. Suddenly,
a bright lightning flash and loud thunder rocked the Blue Cliffs.
It was a signal for the flood to begin.
Suha and his wife went into the gum-ball ark and closed the door
tightly. Swirling, dark clouds surrounded them. Torrents of rain
poured down everywhere. For many days, the ark rolled and tossed
about on the deepening sea.
After many, many moons, the downpour of rain stopped. The ark settled
upon the land again, high on a mountaintop. Suha opened the door
and stepped forth to see a tuna cactus growing near his feet. He
and his wife ate some of the red fruit of the cactus plant. Below
them, they saw water everywhere.
That night they retired again to the ark. They must have slept
a very long time, because when they awoke the water had disappeared,
the valleys were green, and the bird songs rang forth again.
Suha and his wife descended from Superstition Mountain, a name
later given to the mountain upon which the ark had landed. They
went down into the fertile valley and lived there for a thousand
years. The forthcoming people prospered, becoming known as the Pima
These Pimas later believed a story that an evil one named Hauk
lived behind Superstition Mountain. He was also called the "Devil
of Superstition Mountain" because he tried to steal daughters
from the Pimas.
One day, Hauk secretly descended into Pima valley, where the women
were busy weaving. He stole one of Suha's daughters. Suha followed
Hauk to his home behind Superstition Mountain, where he observed
his daughter treated as a servant-girl by Hauk.
Suha poisoned the cactus wine that his daughter served Hauk. When
he drank it, Hauk died instantly. After that the world seemed less
wicked, but always the Pimas feared that Hauk's evil spirit still
lurked behind Superstition Mountain.
Suha, Shaman and inspired leader of the Pima tribe, taught his
people to build adobe houses, to dig gardens with bones and stones,
to irrigate their lands from the rivers; to raise sheep, horses,
and cattle, and, above all, to live in peace with one another.
On his dying day, Suha gathered his people and foretold:
"If you ever grow arrogant with wealth, if you ever become
covetous of others' lands, if you ever make war for gain, if you
ever disgrace yourselves before Chief of the Sky Spirits--another
flood will come upon you.
"If that happens again, bad persons will never be saved; only
good persons will eventually live with the Sun-God."
Since that time, Pimas have believed Suha's prophecies; and they
never, never go onto Superstition Mountain.
But their people love to tell the story of why and how the gum-
ball ark landed on Superstition Mountain, saving Suha and his good
wife, who became the beloved ancestors of their large and important
Native American Legends
Back to Top
Other Native American Legends