Pidajoltaha Antonio

Pidajoltaha was an Apache of the Tonto Tribe (Dilzhę́’é), a band of Western Apache

The Tonto Apache is a Native American tribe who lived on an 85-acre reservation next to Payson, Arizona. The Tonto Apache are descendants of the Dilzhe'e Apache, who lived in the Payson area before Europeans arrived. In 1871, the Tonto Apache was moved to the Rio Verde Reserve, which was established for the Tonto and Wipukepa (Northeastern Yavapai).

The Tonto Apache lived alongside the Wipukepa and Kewevkapaya, two of the four subgroups of the Yavapai of central and western Arizona, living usually east of the Verde River.

Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona Reservation

The word "Tonto" is a term used by Apache Indians to refer to the Western Apaches, meaning "wild ones".
The Dilzhe’e Apache refer to themselves as Dilzhę́’é, as do the San Carlos Apache. The Western Apache from Bylas uses the word Dilzhę́’é to refer to both the San Carlos and Tonto Apache groups.

Biography:
Pidajoltaha was born likely on the Tonto Apache Reservation, Payson, Gila County c. 1887 to parents Jacob and Sarah Antonio

According to Carla Joinson, in her book Vanished in Hiawatha, Dasia was admitted to the Canton Asylum on April 22, 1908, and diagnosed with hemiplegia, later revised to cortical epilepsy. (Hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy, (HHE) syndrome is a rare condition that can occur in children. It's characterized by prolonged clonic seizures, usually on one side of the body, followed by hemiplegia. HHE syndrome is a rare result of prolonged focal febrile convulsive seizures in infancy and early childhood. There is no cure for HHE syndrome, but medical treatment can help control seizures. Cortical dysplasia usually begins in infancy and is associated with focal cortical thickening. When hemiplegia occurs without seizures, half of the patients recover completely, and the remainder are left with partial paralysis.)

In 1910 her diagnosis was revised to epileptic psychoses, deteriorating. (Epileptic psychoses reflect a fundamental disruption in the fidelity of mind and occur during seizure freedom or during or after seizures. The psychotic symptoms in epilepsy share some qualities with schizophrenic psychosis, such as positive symptoms of paranoid delusions and hallucinations.)

According to the letter dated February 23, 1934, from Dr.L.L.Culp to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Dasia (Pidajoltaha) was buried in the Canton Hiawatha Cemetery tier 5 plot 24.

Her profile is part of the The Canton Asylum One Place Study.

Research Notes:
-Pidajoltaha was originally presumed to be Apache, San Carlos Tribe based on the 1934 letter from Dr. L.L. Culp which states that she arrived from San Carlos, AZ. However, the 1898 Indian Census from the San Carlos Agency identifies Pidajoltaha as being from the Tonto District, San Carlos Ward, San Carlos Agency, AZ. This makes it possible that she was Apache of the Tonto Tribe (Dilzhę́’é), a band of Western Apache. 2/11/2024 the 1907 census of the Mohave Tonto-Apache and Apache confirms Pidajoltaha as a Tonto Apache.
-it appears that Pedajoltaha was a fairly common name, at least in this family, as one Pedajoltaha (anna) exists born in 1871 also

Recommended Reading:
1. Wikipedia contributors. "Tonto Apache." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Sep. 2023. Web. 11 Feb. 2024.

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Sources:

1898 Jun - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:76GM-9Z2M : Fri Oct 06 06:12:31 UTC 2023), Entry for Pidajoltaha, 1898, pg. 400/774, line 230, census of the Tonto Apache Indians, Tonto Apache District, San Carlos Agency, Arizona

1907 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:76VJ-4S2M : Fri Oct 06 08:00:40 UTC 2023), Entry for Pidajoltahs, 1907, pg. 276/774, line 10, census of the Mohave Tonto-Apache and Apache, San Carlos Agency, Arizona

1910 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:76KN-DSW2 : Wed Oct 04 23:54:40 UTC 2023), Entry for Pidajoltaha, 1910, pg. 512/774, line 244, census of the Apache Indians, San Carlos Age cy, Arizona

1910 Aug 12 - Camp Verde School: 1910-27; Canton Insane Asylum: 1910-22, Series: Superintendents' Annual Narrative and Statistical Reports, Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408 @ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/155854182?objectPage=676, line 102, Table 7-3 Form of mental disease of those admitted since opening of the asylum, original diagnosis

1910 Aug 12 - Camp Verde School: 1910-27; Canton Insane Asylum: 1910-22, Series: Superintendents' Annual Narrative and Statistical Reports, Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408 @ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/155854182?objectPage=677, line 47, Table 8 Form of mental disease of those in asylum, June 30, 1910, revised diagnosis

1916 May 20 - Hilton, M. (Ed.). (2023, July 10). Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians Historical Marker. Historical Marker. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=183486 Photo by Ruth VanSteenwyk, July 10, 2023, courtesy of HMdb.org

Jane Burch 2-1-16 · Dasue 5-20-16 · Maggie Snow 7-10-16

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14491729/--dupue: accessed February 11, 2024), memorial page for - Dupue (–), Find a Grave Memorial ID 14491729, citing Hiawatha Asylum Cemetery, Canton, Lincoln County, South Dakota, USA; Maintained by Graveaddiction (contributor 46528400).