Thomas County cat., 1890-08-07

/ ttor<e 81 Traditiens Of the Na-
p tajO Indians.
In 9pmmon with other tribes Of the
south est, the Navajos believe that they
! originally came from below, and like tho
MoquiS their lower world is composed
OF two stories or stations: Their best
established traditions Of the creation.
or appearance of men on earth, is as
follows: The Navajos originally lived
in the underworld is, the world
Immediately below the one upon which
they now live. In that world they were
happy and contented, and had every,
thing VII htch heart could wish for.
There wife no excesses of heat or cold,
and fruits and flowers grew in album
dance. The day was marked by a bright
cloud, which rose like a curtain in th3
east, and as this went down black
cloud rose in the west, which marked
the night. In this happy condition they
existed until some one of the tribe dis
covered an opening in the earth which
extended upward to some place then un-
known. He communicated his discov-
| cry to his people, and the tribe set out
to find to what place the opening would
lead. Finally they emerged upon this
earth at a point somewhere in the Nava-
jo mountains. and Immediately prepared
to take possession of their new home.
When they came upon earth they were
ruled by queen, who misterious,y dis
appeared four days afterwards. Men
were sent in all directions to search for
her, and those who had gone in the di-
recti'n of the Navajo mountains came
upon the opening by which the tribe had
ascended from the lower world, and
found that it had not yet been closed.
Looking downward, they saw their
queen combing her long black hair. She
spoke to them, and told them to return
to her people with the message that she
had died Oh earth and had returned to
the lower world, and that they would
come to her only when death had re-
leased them from the upper world.
With this the earth closed, and the
searchers returned to the tribe with the
message which had been given them
Soon after this, giants appeared in the
country, who killed and ate up the en-.
tire tribe with the exception of four
families, who found safety in deep
canon of the Navajo mountains.
One day in their desOlate retreat they
saw an early dawn bright ray of sun
shine beaming upon a lovely verdant
hill not far away. Four days in sue
'eessiOn this phenomenon was presented,
and before dawn by curiosity to visit
the sptt they found beautiful girl
babe. This child was regarded as the
daughter of heaven and earth, ard they
reard her with the greatest care. When
she grew to wOmanhoOd the great w;r-
riOr who rides upon white horse and
carries the sun upon his arm as shield
fell in love with and married her. The
offspring of this union were two sor,s
who slew the giants who had destroyed
the Navajos; and under their protect.
ion the world has peopled again. The
daughter of heaven and earth was
finally taken up by her warrior husband
and transported to the great waters to
the westward, where she was placed in
a floating palace which has since been
her home. She is immortal and to- her;
are addressed the prayers of the peopleJ
Her water home is guarded by twelve
immortal beings, who return period
ically t0the land to learn what the
NavajOs are doing and to carry back
any messages which they may send.
The Tradition of this protecting goddess
accounts for the respect which tho
Navajos show to the women of their
tribe. Among them man never lifts
his hand against woman, although it
is no unusual thing for squaw to ad-
minister sound thrashing to the war
rior husband who has offended her.
AL of the sheep, which constitute the
great wealth of the tribe, are owned by
the women; and in the various families
the line of descent is always OH the side
Uf the woman. The Navajos have little
or no idea of the future existence, but
are firm believers in the transmigration
of souls. For this reason they have
great reverence for different animals
and birds, which are supposed to be
re-embodiment of departed spirits of
William NJ. Edwards, in
Harper's Weekly.