Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-09-20
THE NAVAJO INDIANS.
ANNUAL REPORT CONCERNING INDI. ANS WHO CALL THEMSELVE
 THE PEOPLE.''
A Tribe That Is Growing ealthy---Rap- i'd Strides Toward Civilization--- Interesting Phases of Navajo
 Social Life---Tabos That
 Are RigidIy Observed.
Corr. Globe Democrat.

Corr. Globe Democrat.
 WASHINGTON, D. C., September 6-The annual report of c. E. Nandever, agent of the Navajo Indians ill New Mexico, just re ceived by Commissioner Morgan, is a most interesting document. Mr. Nande yer, who has been in office little more than year, says he has visited every part of the vast reservation, and has made close study of the tribe. their history, traditions and habits He explains that the Navaios call themselves "Tinneh," which means in Enghgh The People" and in cherishing this little bit of self complacency they only initiate their fel- l low-men of other races. Agent Vandever says. however that the Navaios are the most hourishing and most promising branch of the vigorous Athapascan stock which exists in widely separated tribal communities upon the Pacific Slope, from Alaska to Mexico.
 The Navajo Reservation lies in the northeastern corner of Arizona and the l adjoining northwestern corner of New Mexico, and it embraces also a long, mar row strip of Utah lying south of the San Juan River. It has an area of 14.5O0 square miles, and contains population of about 15,000 Indians. Ut Is an arid region" says Agent Vandever, "its broken table land and sandy valleys having gen eral alti ude of 5000 or 1000 feet; but along the borders of Arizona and New Mexico are regions of lofty, plne-covered noun tains, with occasional peaks 10000 or H., | 900 feet high. The rivers flow through deep, impossible gorges and labyTinthine channels, running through mesa and val | |, | in swift torrents to these greater chasms."
 STOCK GROWING.
 The Navajos are mainly engaged ill stock growing, and own 250,000 horses, 500 mules, 1000 burros, 100000 sheep, | 10000 goats and 6000 cattle, the total value of their property being about $5,- 500,000 Their crops last year were 9, 070,000 pounds of pinon nuts, 800 bushels of wheat, 100 bushels of rye, 200 bushels of potatoes, 5000 bushels of peaches and 100000 each of pumpkins, watermelons and squashes. They sold during the year l 12,000 sheep, 1,370,00G pounds of wool, 29l, 900 pelts, $24 900 worth of home man ufactured blankets and l,ll0G00 pounds 1 of corn. They also manufactured for their own use S15,000 worth of blankets. i These Indians are not much disposed to l improving. "They have very primitive adapted for thls arid region," says the agent. ",rhey select sandy spots near some line of drainage, and these seeming ! ly dry, barren dunes retain sufficient moisture to germinate the seeds, which are planted with hoe They throw up numerous low dikeS with their hoes to re- tain the occasional rainfall. but they chiefly depend upon the sudden, heavy showers of July and August to mature the corn, which is harvested in Septem- Der. Irrigation has never been practiced by them, except in recent experiments i'll a small way"
 The area planted in corn last year was about 10,0G0 acres, but this is likely to be extended soon. In the Canon Tse-qf and its branches" continues the agent, ''are many little clusters of peach trees, originallY-nlanted- by some of the village lnstlaus n llo rorllsi >--lIly4k Nasd- jos during seasOrs of famine among the villagers. None of the fruit Is preserved, as that region during the harvest month
 is the scene of continuous festivities, and scattered family members assemble there
 from all parts of the reservation to feast
 upon green corn, melons and peaches" | SILVER MONEY PREFERRED.
 The Navajo appears to have his own
 idea of money, and ill his dealings with
 the white man he exhibits the preference
 for silver recently manifested by the
 West generally It is the only money he
 will accept, for the reason that hs is 6
 good judge of silver, and realizes that he
 might be easily deceived with paper cur
 rency. The Navajos transform about
 bo1 Hn
 of various kinds, but they have no ap
 poor" says Agent Vandever, ''they were
 content with copper and brass; butt witt
 the coming of the railway and better mar
 kets for their products they grew rich
 and these yellow metals became cheap
 and gold they reckon in the same cate
 gory. Besides, their first really valuable
 ornaments were of silver obtained iron the MeXicans whose favorite decoration has always been silver, and the Navajo ideal of splendor is the Mexican vaauerC in gala attire, horse and rider heavily } bedecked with silver"
 The Navaios are beginning to take al interest in education, and the agency , schools are favored with good attendance Some of the boys are learning to make t shoes and to work at carpentering. Weav ? ing, working in leather, wood and metals are all taught in the schools, and as the Navajo are natural craftsmen, the boy: : readily learn.
 5 The Navajos were originally vagran hunters. but about 300 years ago tht } Spaniards from Mexico introduced sheel } into their country, and these Indians ac !, quired fiocks and were transformed int landed shepherds. Since that time the, . have been pastoral people, their who'll l destiny, perhaps, belng changed. No l only Is their condition now far remove, from the hardship of the average nomad : but as a people they are actually veal | thy.
 SOCIAL LIFE OF THE NAVAJO. l Concerning the social life of the Navaj0s . the report Qf Agent Vandever is full 0 a interest. A primitive social state stil r obtains among them," he says. "Descen is still traced only through the mother !. they still reckon remote collateral kin a l. relatives. which in civilization have lon n ceased to be recognized, and the childre1 s belong exclusively to the mothers gen n or clan. Of these gentes there are stil l. thirty-seven extant, some of them yer l. small, others containing TOO or 800 pei l. sons the terms by which they are ii; f llllS OG1llt5 Ot iOCdlil llG' T. chiefly or waters and mythic places On l. of them is known as the clam of the Hig i House people, probably because the d once occupied the abandoned houses 0 s the ancient cliff dwellers; one is calle ,- after the Ute being the descendants ( if women captured from that tribe: one al | ter the village Inlians of the Ri Il Grande, and another after the Zaul tines ,- two being descended from bands of thes r. people who came to the Navajos during s period of famine in their villages Per k haps the most vigorous clan of the trib IF Is called the Mexican, and is said to | r. descended from a young Mexican woma e captured near Albuquerque about 20
 years ago.
 Most of these clans," he continue ,- have a recognized principal man, (
 chief, but neither hereditary TOT electiv
 He is merely all apt, ambitious mal
 usually good orator, who asserts hin al self in the discussion and conduct of a r. fairs. Difference is shown to these chief le and their advice Is generally followe, r. but there is no real authority inherent ct the position. Their laws consist of t d boos, religious ohserYances and ancier e customs; but among the younger peopl 1 they have happily lost much of their fo al mer consequence, although as a rule Il " old ways are still adhered to. Theoret -, pnl lIN tbaU baUa m any pI111ItorV and rot Q