Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-04-09
THE MoQv.s.
A Visit to tho Largest and Least-Known
Pueblo Indian Village.

A Visit to the Largest and Ieast-Known
Pueblo Indian Village.
Colonel James Stevenson, of the Blu
reau of Ethnology, has returned to
Washington after a s%ojourn of about
six months among the Indians of
Arizona, bringing a carload of rare
and valuable curios, illustrative of the
social habits, worship and industries
of various tribes of which little is
known. He was accompanied in his
travels by Mrs Stevenson, and the pair
had an adventure among the Pueblo
Indians quite unusual in its character.
Having explored some n~ewly-discov-
cred cave villages in the vicinity of
Flagstaff, Arizona. they gathered Il
small party and struck across the
desert to the northeast for the Moqui
towns. several days journey distant.
They arrived safely, and encamped at
the foot of a high mesa, upon the top
of which stands Oreibe, the largest,
westernmost and least known Of all the
pueblo" towns. Its population is
about eight hundred and fifty souls,
and the village is a compact mass of
rubble structures, standing one upon
another, like a pile of empty boxes.
and with as little regard to any general
plan Of architecture. The people, like
all village Indians, r comparatively
harmless, but, unlike the majority,
have a strong aversion to contact with
the whites.
Some of The leading men OF the town
came down to the camp and, after con-
siderable palaver. gave consent that
their village might be visited, but stipu-
lated that no effort should be made to
convert the people to Christianity. The
next day MI. and Mrs. Stevenson. ac-
companied by theirfourfriendly Moquis
from other villages and as many Nava-
joes, rode to the top Of the mesa, dis
mounted, walked into the village plaza,
and thence climbed a ladder to the top
of the cocique's, or high priests house.
When the presence of the strangers be-
ment throughout the village. The
ncighboring housetops and the plaza
were thronged by excited barbarians,
who chatted in loud voices and made
threatening gestures. One burly savage
upon a roof just above the c%ocique's
dangled a lariat suggcstively noosed at
the end, and loudly demanded that the
whites be taken to the estufa, or under
ground chapel of the village, and there
summarily dealt with. One or two
dcmonstrative individuals volunteered
to be the first to apply the knife. The
friendly Moquis stood their ground
only a few minutes. and then disap-
peared, but the Navajoes, who are
made of firmer material, remained.
Colonel Stevenson says that while the
situation was highly interesting, it WAS
probably less alarming than it would
have 5een to people u~nacquainted with
the natural timidity of the Pueblos.
Mrs. Stevenson, who has soiourned
with her husband among many wild
tribes, and knows the Indian character
well, created an opportune diversion
by shaking her fist in the face of d
hunch-backed savage, whose vindictivc
eloquence seemed to exert q most mis-.
chievoMs influence over his fellows, adj
| dressing to him at the same time sew
eral brief but vigorous remarks in En-
glish and Spanish, which he was, Of
course, quite unable to understand. Be-
fore the man had recovered his self
possession the strangers had backed
down the ladder, and then slowly made
their way, with the whole bowling
pack, men ana women, children and
dogs, at their heels, to their ponies,
mounted androde down to camp. They
found the cook, who was the only
other white person in the party, con
siderably alarmed. He said the camp
was surrounded 500 after their depart
ure by many friendly Indians, but when
the Moqui deserters reached them and
told the story of the proceedings on the
mesa all mounted their ponies anc
made haste to get away. The cook
feared his companions had been made
prisoners--perhaps murdered.
The party remained in the neighbor-
hood several days, visiting the other
Moqui villages. to all of which they
were welcomed, and many times they
were visited surreptitiously at night by
people from Oreibe, who brought curios
for sale, which they dared not offer
openly. In this way Il fair collection
was made. Meanwhile the story Of the
episode in Oreibe was carried to keam's
canyon. twenty-five miles distant, the
proprietor Of which, an English ranch
man, has lived in the vicinity many
years, and by fair dealing. pluck and
firmness has gained an extraordinary
influence with both Navaioes and Mo-
quis. Mr.. Keam at once organized a
party of three or four white men, the
only ones living within sixty miles, and
adozen or twenty Navajoes fora rescue.
The Oreibes received information OF
his approach, and the head men of their
tribe incontinently fled. Keam sent
his Navajoes after them, and the two.
including the hunchbacked chief, were
broughtin. Keam tied their elbows and
took themto his ranchf for discipline, the
Stevensons accompanying him. The
prisoners were defiant at fist, but after
two OF three days confinement under
the guardianship of Navajoe %jailers, who
beat drums, danced and INDUCED in
other terrifying performances. they be-
gan to relent and confessed that they
had acted badly.
"Now you are beginning to talk
reason" said Keam, land we will see
about letting you 60 soon."
But" snarled the hunchback, eve