News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-05-06
PASTIMES OF THE PUEBLOS,
A. STRANGE PEOPLE AND THEIH
CURIOUS CUSTOMS.
Ancient Inhabitants of New Mexico
Their Present Methods of Life
Odd Ceremonial nances

Their Present Methods of Life
Odd Ceremonial Dances.
Judge L. Bradford Prince, who is an
enthusiast in Pueblo archaeology, has re-
turned to his New Mexico home from
visit to the Tunkue Pueblo, forty-fve
miles south of Sante Fe, about which in
teresting rumors have been afoat, but
little has been known until now. IL
proves to be one of the Pueblos that
went down in the revolution of $780, and
was destroyed by fire. 1t was very large
The walls are yet distinctly traceable and
the lines of the houses well marked.
The square of houses surrounding the
Estufa, or underground council chamber,
is about 1900 feet on each side. The
Estufa itself is about fifty feet in diane,
ter Judge Prince found many pieces of
pottery of unusual brilliancy of colors,
and also stone axes and hammers.
Scorched corn in pots was found, which
went through the confiagration over 200
years ago, and is in a remarkable state Of
preservation
Judge Prince has been several years
engaged in unearthing the mysteries of
the ancient Pueblos, and his home
abounds in rare relics. Among the latter
is the only set of Pueblo idols known.
1t is composed of strange figures and
curiously-marked stones, eighteen pieces
in all. Though the Pueblos claim to
have embraced the Catholic faith, it is
known that they still reverence idols
the sun, moon and morning stars. AL
though they present their children to the
priest for baptism on the eighth day
worshipping ceremony with them
| four or five days before that. They are
a very secretive people, and it is impos-
sible to discover the nature Of this cere-
mony. The 10000 members, and they
are known to have remained at about
that number since 1900, carefully guard
this ceremonial secret. There are now
nineteen towns left, only one
having been abandoned within
the last eighty-fve years, and that
the Pecos Pueblo, the extensive ruins
of which are still visible on the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe road near Glori-
eta. This once populous city was re-
duced to eleven inhabitants in 1910, and,
taking with them the sacred fire, which
had been kept burning for untold ages,
they journeyed to Jemez, where one of
them was chosen governor last year. In
the year 1910 Coronado found the Pecos
Pueblo populous and fourishing, but its
inhabitants wasted away by war and
disease in 800 years until only eleven re-
NAMED.
The Pueblo government is pure de-
mocracy. On each New Year eve they
elect officers in every town, the princi-
pal officers being the governor, the war
captain and the eiscut, or treasurer. The
latter also has charge of the celebrations,
and heralds proclamations and the news
"a walking bulletin board by virtue of
his lungs. Every town has o patron
saint, and that saints day is the great.
event of the year. They rival each other
in the extent and loveliness of the de-
nonstrations, and in hospitality, for
every house is open, and the stranger is
welcome to the best it affords.
The ceremonial dances at these celebra-
tons partake of the nature of the drama.
1t is the tribal mythology preserved in
song and dance. The matachinos is
danced by twelve men and one woman,
the belle of the Pueblo. 1t represents
the trials of Montezuma in reaching per-
lection and the possession of ideal female
loyeliness. The woman they call Nalin-
) che. MOntezumais is represented by some
active and ambitious young man, who,
in the course of the dance, meets with
all the annoyances and difficulties that
can be heaped upon him by his tormen~
tors. He is attacked first by one and
then another, and overcomes them in turn,
winding up with a terrific combat with
an Indian decked out in imitation of
bull. Then he claims the maiden and is
happy, even his late combatants joining
Mrs. Prince saw the Zariche, a dramatic
} dance, typical of the sufferings and final
victory of Hoo -plb-wah, the Aztec
Achilles. She describes it as follows:
''Two Indians are chosen and dressed
Just alike-or, more correctly speaking,
are painted just alike, as that is their
adornment for the ceremony. You can
only get faint understanding of the ef-
feet by description of the painting.
Fine white lines radiate from the mouth
and eyes. One half of the body from tho
crown of the head to the soles of the feet
is painted bright yellow and the other
half green. A buckskin pad on the end
of stick is dipped in white paint and
the figure patted with it, making what
looks like little snowballs. eight or ten
inches apart, all over the body. The ef-
feet is very odd and striking. A curious
necklace, of what are said to be bones of
extinct animals, is worn about the necks
and the finishing adornments are
feathers and bows and arrows. There
are two dressed in this way and
exactly alike. To each is fastened
rope made of the strands of hides
painted green and yellow, and the OPP
posite ends of the ropes are fastened to
posts. When all is ready, weird Indian
music strikes up, and the dance begins
in mournful measure, increasing in
fervor as it goes on. The contortions
become alarming, but as nearly alike as
the movements of double clog dancers on
the minstrel stage. The ropes are finally
broken, and when that happens there is
great rejoicing. The assembled people
shout and laugh and sing as though all
worldly ills were banished and paradise
at hand"
The dual representation in this dance
is mystery which the Pueblos refuse to
reveal The festivals generally occur
during the winter months, the summer
being given to agriculture by the men,
while the women make pottery of odd
design and pretty color.-Brooklyn Union.