Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 249, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1913 — Home Life of Navajo Indians [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Home Life of Navajo Indians

TO see the Navajo properly, one should travel by stage from Gallup to Shiprock, N. M. By taking this route, one can see the Indians living their own natural way, and it is hard to believe that they live practically on the ground day and night unless one sees them in their homes. Our party, Beated in a four-horse rig, rode 25 miles the first afternoon, staying that night at an Indian school named “Tohatchi” (meaning “Scratch for water"). Here we found nice comfortable buildings, and the teachers of the Indians treated us to the best they had, and we felt quite at home. The next day we covered 46 miles, stopping at a trading post long enough to eat luncheon. That night we put up at another Indian school, named “Toadalena” (meaning “running water"). This place is 7,000 feet above sea level, and the scenery is very pretty. The people here gave us good meals and a nice place in which to sleep. The third and last day we made 60 miles without any stop, but ate our luncheons as we rode along. As we traveled we were fortunate enough to miss the awful sandstorms so common at this season. The sun shone about 12 hours each day, and wo were traveling early enough in the spring to miss the heat. p Very Little Clothing. The Navajos live in hogans and tepees, built low and small, with no floors and very little ventilation. They usually have a rough door, or hole in the top. One of these small houses seldom has more than one room, which accommodates a family of almost any size. These Indians sleep on sheepskins, and cover themselves with the blankets they make. Very little clothing is worn by them, and very seldom a hat. Most of the men have kerchiefs around their heads, to keep th'e long hair out of their facbs, and the women usually have blankets over their shoulders, and their hair is tied in a knot back of their headß. The Jewelry worn by the Indians consists principally of silver ringß and bracelets, made by them, Bet with turr’’oise, and worn chiefly by the woman. Anyone traveling in the desert would never think it so thickly populated, but if an Indian should be shot, there would be several hundred at the scene of the shooting in less than half a day, as they have reflecting mirrors to use in signaling their distress calls. The Navajo rugs are noted for their beauty and durability; but one would be surprised to see how some of them are made. They have a franriT set up in the outside of their hogans, and here they sit in the sun, taking days and sometimes weeks, in making a single rug. The average price they receive for their rugs is about sl6 each. The genuipe Navajo rug is made from their own sheep’s wool. Dislike Paper Money. On an average of one every twentylive miles along the roads on the Navajo Indian reservation, white men have stoies, or trading poets. Here the Indians bring their rugs, wool and so forth, and trade for the necessities of life. The trader ships to the differ«nt parts of the United States the things he buys from the Indians. If, In the course of business, the Navajos get any paper money, they have it changed into coin before buying anything, as they do not understand the value of currency. When a Navajo becomes sick, Hie medicine man, or woman, of the tribe

is sent for to drive away the “evil spirit.” For this service (?) the man or the woman is given ten sheep or goats. If the Navajos think one of their people is going to die, he or she is carried a hundred yards or more from the hogan, for the reason that when one dies in a hogan the hogan is burned, as none of the tribe will live in it afterward. The Indian school at Shiprock, in San Juan county, New Mexico, is one of the best in the service, although it is only ten years old. There are about 160 students in attendance, in ages ranging from six to twenty yenru. Most of the children are bright, and want to learn, but their capacity for learning does not go far beyond the sixth grade. The Navajo children’s singing and reciting would do credit to that heard In most white schools, and they can answer more Bible questions and repeat more Scripture than the average grown white person. These little Indians are taught to do all kinds of work, such as sewing, tailoring, kitchen and dining room work, carpentering, farming, and, in fact, everything that an American should know. Many of the girls take positions with white families, and prove themselves very capable in doing their work properly. Their success in any Tine of work Is due to the Buperlntendent and the teachers, who take great care in their training. Uncle Sam has spent several thousand dollars in constructing comfortable buildings and in beautifying the grounds in this part of the Navajo country. Thebe Indians have a fine greenhouse, ice plant, laundry, acetylene light plant, hospital, and every other up-to-date convenience. The school grounds contain about' 300 acres and are quite level. The San Juan river runs near by, and supplies ample water for irrigating. This land produces large crops of alfalfa, grains, fruits, melons, and other agricultural products. The school has for its use and study fine cows, horses, sheep, hogs, and, in fact, everything of the best that one could wish for, and naturally, the Indians appreciate all that Uncle Bam is doing for them. Every fall, to encourage the Indians in their work, a big fair is held at Shiprock, and the Navajos take much pride in bringing in for exhibition the best of everything. This is a time of great rejoicing among the natives, and many white people come from far and near to Bee the wonderful things made by the Indians. About two years ago, this region experienced a cloudburst that caused the rivers to overflow their banks, and water covered the entire school grounds. All of the inhabitants and live stock had to move up on higher ground, where they were compelled to remain for several hours before the flood Subsided. A new steel bridge over the San Juan river, which cost SIO,OOO, was washed away; a few cottages that were built of adobe, crumbled down; basements were filled with water; clothes and eatables ruined, and the pretty school grounds Were covered with mud about a foot thick. Something like $60,000 damage was done, and everything was in a very deplorable condition, but in the face of this, the Indians went to work, and after a long period of patient toiling, everything was put in a condition better than it was before the flood. Whisky is not allowed op the reservation even backed by a doctor’s presscrlption, because of its demoralizing effect on the Indians.