The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-12-21
PECULIAR people,

In the Northeastern corner OF an
zona Territory, there lives race o
Indians who possess many pecullarl
ties of interest to those who consider
that the proper study of mankind II
man. From Mr.. @. E. Dake, who
has been out there IN company with
John Reese, taking the census o.
the tribe, We are indebted for the
following interesting particulars con
corning these Indians, their habits,
customs and mode of life.
The Moquis have no knowledge
how or y hen they became settled In
their present abode. They claim to
be descendants of the Ancient Aztecs,
but whether or not they are OF Inc
Same race as the original inhabitants
OF the cities CT Cibola, Is a question
that offers a wide field for lnVestIga
ton.
There are seven villages in all-six
inhabited by the MUquis, and one by
the OnOas, VINO are TO all appearance
the same people, only speaking a
different dialect. These villages are
situated on rocky, barren nesas, the
Onba village being about twenty
miles west OF the MOq1ls. The APP
proach to the villages Is by single
zizzag path which winds around the
face of toe cliff, and barely permits a
single bOrseman to advance. The
houses are buIlt of rock, thedweilIngs
rising in the shape OF terraces, are.
entered by means of ladders, which
are drawn Up every night.
Fuel has 10 be packed to some OF
the village on the backs OF burrOs,
over SIX miller, while water Is brJugBt
from mile TO Two miles dIstsnt. o.
the sandy plain at the foot of these
messs, are raised fine crops of corn,
pumpziug, melons and delicious
peaches. They own many horses,
sheep and goats, which are carefully
guarded every night in stone corrals
on the steep sides of the mesa, where
walchful sentinels keep bright look
out all night long.
The MUquis stand in mortal dresd
of their warilke neighbors, the
Eagsios. who are distant from them
come twenty-five miles north, and
whose ideas concerning the rights of
property are decidedly mixed.
The MCquIs villages are Oh two
mesas-thIee on each. The diff rent
villages are only few hundred yards
apart, yet DO two OF them spesk the
same dialect. The head cnieitAinship
is hereditary ia one family, but each
village has tub-chief.
Tne Moquis worship the sun and
man forms of idols. They also have
a reverence for mathematics, and once
year they indulge IN what IS known
as the suake-dance, ID which they
tWiue these reptiles about the body,
neck and arms, as they twirl through
the wild orgies of their dance. The
serpenl5 frequently bite, but they
have a sure antidote against the
poison.
The Mequis bachelors buy Their
dusky males from the parents, the
price OF q wife b5iDg shout siX punIes,
but il varies according 10 the quauty
They have a very simple and effective
mode OF settling domestic ditn culues.
HBen the wife discovers ''Incompati-
bility of temperament" and finds
that the husband Is not the man she
thought he was, she orders him to.
pick up his movable effects, and stand
not on the order OF his going but
''git" at once. As a consequence of
this simple divorce law, the women
are said to own nearly all the zeal
estate in the Moquis villages, for the
house falls 10 the wife when the mat
rimOnial tie is severed.
The besux OF the tribe going on
counting expedition dress in gor-
geous manner IN velvet knee
brooches Ornamented with silver but
tons, their briddle ard saddle being
also profusely ornamented with the
same metal. There is q difference IN
dressing the hair between the matrOns
and the maidens. The latter wear it |
in sharp pufs projecting over the
ears which is an intimstion to the
anxious beau that "Ba1kis IS within"
After marriage the hair is worn long
on the shoulders, and banged" IN
the latest style, in front. The woman
do nearly sll the work in the villages,
repair The houses, grind the corn by
mattsts, etc.
The tribe is prosperous, peaceable
and industrious. The agent lives
about eight miles from the villages, |
and furnishes them their annunJtles
every year. q Mr. Keam has a store
at the agency and does a large trade |
with the tribe, buying their WOO, corn
aud other products. lie lately shipped |
$50 600 pounds of wool The GOV.
eminent Is about to start a boarding |
school at the agency, which will no
doubt be vel attended and be of great
good 20 the tribe.
Taken together, these native
Arizonans are happy and contented |
race. Their cares are light, their !
wants are few and easily suppid |
They are isolated from the busy
world, its struggles and its excite
ments, and pass their days in peace
full, patriarchsl simplicity, as did
their ancestors for centuries before
tlem. -ArizoaG Democrat.