The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-07-29
THE ZUNI INDIANS.
An Ancient New Mexican Town-Social
Life of the Pueblos-Langunge, Dress,
Etc. Etc

Etc, Etc.
From an interesting article in HaTper's
for August, entitled . Ancient Pueblos of
New Mexico and Arizena," we make thf
following extracts:
Returning east from Arizona year
since, we camped under the walls OF the
Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico, and spent a
day with its curious people. This place
is about sixty miles north of Camp Apa-
che, Arizona, and only a few miles from
the line dividing the two Territories. The
town stands on the south bank of the Zu-
nj River, some forty feet above its bed.
Its appearance is not suggestive of hospi
tality to the stranger, presenting as it does
a rectangular wall of stone, varying In
height from fifteen to forty feet. Our
camp was hardly pitched, however, before
some of the chief men made us welc2me,
and sent boys to US with bundles OF fire
wood, here so scarce as to be almost
luxury. The buildings and walls are OF
undressed stone, cement, and adobe; the
only means OF approach being by ladders
to the roofs, from which narrow scuttles
admit the visitor by other ladders to the
interiors. Many of the buildings are
three, and some four stories high, ter
raced like the teocaLLiS of ancient Mexico,
as described by Prescott. Covered ways
lead from exits in the wall TO the stream.
from which the women and
children carry water for the town in glazed
and ornamented vessels, called by the
MeXicans oLlas, already referred to in this
paper as similar to the fragments of pot
terry found by us in Arizona. These Ollas
are adroitly balanced on the head while
the bearer is climbing the ladders to the
house-tops, and, with the graceful Roman
esque costumes of the women, add to the
strangeness of the scene, which seems
rather Oriental than American.
Noticeable everywhere in the interiors
were eagles of various sorts and sizes,
some tied by the foot to perches, and
others hanging in-cages from the walls
They are to these people as sacred as they
were to those of the old dsAZtec empire.
The walls inc ose an area perhaps four
hundred yards square, and population
of about fourteen hundred souls. From a
small plaza in the center OF the town a
few narrow streets lead in several direc-
tions. but the terraced roofs of the dwell
ings, which are almost continuous on the
four sides of the wall, form the usual
means of communication between neigh
bors. An old Jesuit church on the plaza,
which still holds two large Spanish bells
in its ancient tower, now shelters innum-
cradle bats and swallows, but is otherwise
untenanted. A Latin inscription informs
us that the altar was erected in 1776, but
the chief men told us that the present edi-
flee was erected at a much earlier date
upon the site of their Zuni temple, some
of the walls of which form a part of the
new structure.
The Znni Indians are in many respects
similar 10 those of the M0qui and other
Pueblos. but speak language unintelligi-
BILE to the latter. Their dress resembles
that of the Chinese, and many of them
notably the women, have the physical
characteristics of the latter, among which
are oval faces, merry, ,almond-shaped eyes.
and similar complexion.
Dwelling with them as with the MoqHis,
are several families of albinos, which have
been among them for many generations.
These never infermarry with their darker
neighbors, between whom and themselves
there exists mutual dislike.
The usual dress of the men consists of
cotton tunic. and loose trowsers of the
same material, reaching halfway below
the knee, the tunic being often gathered
by leathern belt or a gayly cOlored
wOoleA sash, in the manufacture of which
the Moquis excel. over all is worn in
cold weather Navajo blanket of brilliant
hues and waterproof. vary wing IN value
from five dollars to five horses. We have
seen several made by the Navajos for Off
ce and traders valued at one hundred
and fifty dollars coin each. This finer
work in colors seems not to be under
stood by the Zunis, or they perhaps find
it more profitable TO exchange their wool
for the blankets. devoting themselves to
their farms and herds. The women
wear always an outer garment of wool
FILLING from the SHOULDERS nearly
to the ankle, and gathered at the waist
by broad woolen sash of bright
colors, the fringed or tasseled ends of
which hang nearly to the feet. Knitted
woolen Logging and high buckskin moe
caSins complete the dress Of the lower
limbs, while their beautiful arms are un-
covered. or concealed at pleasure within
the ample fold of their dress or blanket,
the latter being worn with grace almost
classical. The heavy black hair of both
sexes is cut-or, as our ladies' have it.
| banqed-over the forehead, sometimes re-
strained by cotton band around the head
and often with the maidens dressed in
puffs at the side and top OF the head, in q
manner to heighten their resemblance t.
the Chinese.
Their flocks are numerous, and consti
| tute their chief wealth. One of the
caZiques gave his daughter two Thousand
sheep as a dover a short time before oul
visit. Their farms extend down the Zun
Valley several miles; in addition to which
they cultivate other valleys within radius
of twenty miles, where the smaller
pueblos, which have each had thriving
| populations in past centuries, bu
which are now occupied only during tn,
summer months by families from Zuni
Their dependence upon irrigation
makes agriculture laborious, but their JOY
at harvest time, when young and old o
both sexes join in gathering and thresbins
their crops of grain, is contagious in il
merriment. Circus rings are formed nea
the village, the clay soil being leveled anC
beaten until firm smooth surface is OBJ
tanned. and around this horses, asses, anC
Indians trot in grotesque procession
with an accompaniment of songs, ant
jokes, threshing the sheaves of grain. Th
lordly Navajo at such times, visiting Their
for trading purposes, strides about, kinl
in stature and grace, or lazily smokes hi
cigarette, while he watches labor he des
!. pises. s--. Q
J The language of the Zunis is unlike an,
any Others with which we have compare
, it. DR.. Loew. ofLieutenant Wheeler's ex
pedifionof 1873, mentions three language
still in use by other pueblos difieiin,
from this, and unintelligible TO the Zuni:
Mr.. w. w. ii. Davis, in his excellent hi;
tory of the conquest of New Mexico
| ST tes that there are now twenty-six pue
bios, with an estimated population {
ten thousand people, speakin:
: three different languages, a fourt
, having passed away with the last of tn
: Tagnos pueblos since the conquest. Nj
7 E, q. Squier. in one of his interestin,
works ON Central America. gives parts
e vocabularies of five languages spoken
| NewSpain at the time of the conquest, in
e cluding the Mexican or Aztec. In non
! of these appears the slightest similarity I
: that now in use at Zuni
The government of the Zunis consist
: of a Governor-Pedro Pino-a Ii, utter
: ant Governor, an alcalde or mayor, thre
7 tenientes, who are responsible for III
. good order of the town, and twelve C;
: Eiques or councillors. OF the Latter. I'll
] chief, whose title is Wakamarlo, serve
e during life, as does also the Governor; tt
u other caziques are elected annually, an