Traveling Over Forgotten Trails

Navajo Hogan, or House. The homes of the Navajos consist of houses

made by setting poles in the ground, the sides and roof being covered with

bark, grass and earth; or, where it can be afforded, the roof is covered with

canvas, as shown in the illustration.

Traveling Over|Forgotten Trails

By Hon. Anthony W . Ivins

I — Navajo Depredations in Southern Utah

The Navajo (Na-va-ho) Indians occupy a large area of coun-

try in the northeastern part of Arizona, and are to be found, in

small numbers, in southeastern Utah and northwestern New

Mexico.

They are more numerous than any other Indian tribe in the

southwestern United States, and a people of fine physique, great

natural intelligence, and unusual industry. They are a pastoral

people, and practice agriculture to a limited extent. As long ago

as 1855, it was estimated that they had five thousand acres of land

under cultivation, principally corn, but producing small quanti-

ties of fruit, squash, melons and other vegetables.

Their homes consist of conical-shaped houses, made by

standing poles on end, which are covered with grass, bark and

earth, and are called hogans. Their dress is comfortable, and in

some instances expensive. The men wear a shirt which fits

rather closely to the body, sometimes made of cotton or woolen

cloth, often of smoked buckskin, and where it can be afforded,

of velvet, a very popular cloth among them; trousers of cloth,

buckskin or velvet, and moccasins of smoked buckskin, in the

218

IMPROVEMENT ERA

manufacture of which they are very expert; a belt, frequently of

silver ornaments, made by their own silversmiths, and a hat or

band around the head to hold back the hair. When on horseback

they wear knee leggings, and a blanket to

protect them from cold and rain.

The women wear a garment similar to

that of the men to cover the body, a short

skirt, which is held in place by a girdle of

their own weaving, buckskin leggings wourijl

round the lower limbs, and moccasins. The

hair, of which there is usually a profusion, is

gathered and tied in a knot behind.

They are the owners of many thousands

of sheep, large bands of horses, and herds of

cattle.

Women, among the Navajos, are treated

with greater respect than among any other

Indians with whom the writer is familiar. The

women among them are the equal of the men,

and this equality of the sexes is fully respect-

ed. The greater part of the outdoor work is

done by the men, while the women attend to

their domestic duties and household affairs.

The women also appear to have the greater

part of the responsibility in looking after the

sheep and horses, the girls acting as shep-

herdesses, and a Navajo would not think of

disposing of his flocks and herds without first

consulting his wife, a custom which might be

profitably adopted by more civilized people.

The excellence of the blankets, and other

fabrics woven by the Navajos is recognized

wherever these goods are found. They raise

the sheep; they shear them, card, spin and

weave the wool in the most primitive manner, six months some-

times being consumed in the manufacture of a single blanket.

Their silver-smiths are very expert workers, and many interest-

ing designs are worked out in bracelets, beads, belt ornaments

and other articles, with which they adorn their persons.

The Navajos never touch the body of a person who has died,

when it can be avoided, do not eat pork nor allow swine in

their country, and do not scalp or mutilate the bodies of en-

emies who have been slain in battle. A man has absolute con-

trol of his children while they remain under his roof, but when

grown to man and womanhood, and gone to homes of their own,

parental authority ceases. They practice plural marriage, arnf

Navajo Warrior.

His dress is of vel-

vet, the ornaments

on his belt, and

around his neck

are of silver, and

made by himself.

Note how excellent-

ly the moccasins are

made

TRAVELING OVER FORGOTTEN TRAILS 219

their form of government is patriarchal. These customs indi-

cate their Israelitish origin.

While not preeminently a warlike people, the Navajos are

brave, and fight with great courage and intelligence when at-

tacked, or fighting in defense of what they consider their

rights.

When the treaty of Gaudalupe Hidalgo was signed, in 1848,

the Navajo country, together with the remainder of this western

territory, became the property of the United States. Up to that

time little trouble had occurred between the Navajos and Amer-

icans, but for centuries they had been at war with the Mexicans,

their hereditary enemies. Under the treaty referred to, the peo-

ple of New Mexico, who were almost exclusivly Mexicans, be-

came citizens of the United States, and it became the duty of our

government to give them protection. The Navajos could not

readily understand the changed condition which made the Mex-

icans, the wards of the United States government, while the Mex-

icans, taking advantage of the greater protection which our gov-

ernment gave them, were active in acts of reprisal against their

old enemies, the result being, as might be expected, that soon

after the acquisition of the Arizona territory, war broke out be-

tween the Americans and Indians, a war which continued, with

Navajo Woman Baking Bread. She wears the ordinary costume of

women of the tribe.

only short intervals of peace, until the time that the coloniza-

tion of southern Utah and northern Arizona was undertaken by

the "Mormon" people, in the early sixties.

The Navajos, hard pressed by government forces on their