--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Ivins, Anthony W. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 22 number: 3 published: 1919-01 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Ivins, Anthony W., “Traveling Over Forgotten Trails,” *Improvement Era* 22, no. 3 (January 1919): 217–219." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2203unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2203unse start_page: 217 end_page: 219 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1919-01) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2203unse publication_year: 1919 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1919, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # 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