St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-03-24
The Zuni Indians.
STRANGE AND INTERESTING PEOPLE.

! THE Zuni Indians, tribe on the
western border of New Mexico, num-
Der about three thousand, are peacea-
BILE and kindly, and possess a unique,
ancient and considerably developed
civilization. A delegation of them has
just been in Washington on its way to
Plymouth, Mass, under the guidance
of Prof. w. H. Cushing, of the Smith
sonian Institute, who has lived among
them for several years, has been re-
ceived as a member of the tribe, has
been admitted to their secret orders,
and has made careful study of their
history and customs. Prof. Gushing is
about to be initiated into their most
exalted mystery, with which is con-
nected the use of water from the ocean.
Their stock of this water being nearly
exhausted in the many years since they
have seen the ocean, and it being re-
quired that Prof. Gushing should mar
ry a Zuni woman before being fully in
itiated into their secrets, he offered,
instead of being married, to conduct IA
party of chiefs to the ocean for water,
and his offer was accepted. So Ply
mouth is about to witness the strange
rites of the tribe, and it is to be hoped
that the interesting occurrence will not
be interrupted by too inquisitive spec
tators.
The following interesting history of
this strange people, is contributed to
the COngregatiOnalist by Rev. I. c.
Hunt, of Prescott, Arizona:
1t was my privilege some time since
to spend few hours with Mr.. Frank
Cushing, gentleman sent out by the
! .tl . l,.
customs, language and religion of the
Zuni Indians. For two years he has
been, to all intents and purposes, Il
Zuni Indian; living with them on
terms of equality and brotherhood.
When he first arrived at the Zuni vii
lagos it seemed utterly impossible to
learn anything of them. All his ques
tiOns were promptly answered, but in
such an evasive manner that he could
get no insight into their lives. Final
ly, he determined to win them if pOssi
BILE, whatever sacrifice might be re-
quired on his part. The most vulner
able point proved to be the stOmachs
of their children, whom he fed on sug
ar until they would gather about him,
climb upon his knees and kiss him as
fOndly as though he had been the fa-
|
vited to live with them in their pue-
bios; then article after article of his
clothing was taken away, until now he
is arrayed as an Indian chief, hunting
shirt, knee-breeches and mOccasins,
decked with purest silver, necklaces
; and earrings of turquOis and shells,
with bracelets of silver. Thus he must
= dress or he is no Zum and cannot live
5 with them.
e These Indians number about 1000.
They have desert reservation in
Western New Mexico, about thirty
fifth parallel north latitude. They
l subsist upon the products of the soil,
E though it is very poor, water for irri-
L CATION scarce, and crops almost Il GER
tain failure without it. The Zuni In
:. dians, without doubt, present the high
{ est type of aboriginal civilization to be
i found within the bounds of the United
States. They live in villages. Their
houses, called pueblos, are built on the
= side of hill and rise in terraces, the
roof of each house successively being
Il the front yard of the one above. The
= material used is adobe, a kind of mud
which in this dry climate is almost
equal to brick. Formerly, these
: houses were entered only from the top,
e and were Notifications as well as dwell
$ ing-places.
= The Zuni Indians believe that they
e came from the wOmbs of the earth by
y five successive stages, have now reach
ed its center and are to perish where
= they are. In their wanderings they
= were attended by two superhuman be
: ings to, or near to, their present local
u ity, but now are left alone. These SUI
q perhuman beings committed to them Il
= sacred history which is their Bible.
Having no literature this is handed
:, down Uipd UOce, and is repeated in the
Il six Astufas-Sacred divisiOns-Oncei in
+ four years. There are but three per
i sons at time who hold in memory
: this sacred history, but they commit it
Ii with such perfect accuracy, both in
pronunciation and accent, that corrup-
S tiOn seems impossible. Which of the
e three it is who repeats this sacred his
tory they alone can tell. In the dead
5 of winter the three 20 out into the
o mountains, one of them is clad in mask
:. white as the driven snow, the other
I two retire, when ten men appear and
e bear the masked person upon then
IS shoulders to the villages, where, fOI
u upwards of twenty-fOur hours he con-
i tinues to repeat this sacred history
1t is repeated six times, once in each OF
the Astufas, and the only cessation is
Is the time required to move from one
> Astufa to another.
l. This tribe of Indians, though it has
d no literature, is not without culture
II The priestly class, especially, use Ian
l. guage with great precision, and though
is their language of necessity from theil
b, narrow field of view, has far less scope
0, of ideas than ours, within their bound,
l. they can make as delicate distinctions
as we, and are not less careful to keel
IS their language pure i'll pronunciation
IN and accent. Not less than six different
is words are used to express the idea o.
q, knowing; this does not include tn,
)r modes and lenses but simply the man
E. ner of knowing. AristOcracy among
10 them depends entirely upon culture
not at all upon wealth and prefer
ment in governmental affairs upOr
l. merit. The surest way not to be pre-
1r ferred is to seek preferment.
There are fifteen tribes or clans o
le these Indians, and from one of thes,
III clans are taken all the priests anC
chiefs, save the war chiefs, who ar,
chosen for marked valor. These tribe
Ie are constantly changing, since maj
" cannot marry within his own tribe, an'
it his children belong to the tribe from
which he takes his wife. Divorce i
er common, but not more so than with lis
is and is entirely in the hands of the wife
er Children are treated with the creates
in tenderness, and corporal punishment
is almost, if not quite, never inflicted
a Women have entire charpe of th,