Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-07
VERY QUEER INDIANS.
A REMARKABLE TRIBE SURROUND
ED BY A NATURAL WALL.

Some Interesting Facts About the Nava-
supais - They Live in u Stupendous
Canyon In New Mexico-In Many Re-
spects They Are Civilized.
Ben Wittick, well known photog
rapher Of Albuquerque, N. NJ, has been
visiting friends in Minneapolis, and to
him The Minneapolis Journal is indebt-
ed for most interesting and accurate
account Of the Nava-Supais of the Supai
canyon Some time ago he went to New
Mexico. settling at Albuquerque Being
q man Of adventurous turn of mind he
took trip up the canyon and located
the tribe in the narrow, valley like in
closure between the mighty walls of
the Supai canyon Supai is name
which Mr. Supai gave the canyon him
self after having made trip to the re-
gion-
On reaching the canyon he found the
Indians in the midst of marvelously
fertile valley. diminutive as it is, where
all sorts of grains and fruits grow in
rank profusion, where there are splendid
climatic influences nearly the twelve
month through, and where all that tends
to build up physical powers is at hand
He made Investigations, too, into their
language, their rites and ceremonies,
their legends. and into all the phases of
their present and past history possible,
and he is confirmed in the belief that
they are in no way allied to the Aztecs
He says, on the contrary, that as far as
can be ascertained they are allied to the
Wallapai
AN ISOLATED TRIBE.
The tribe is most singular one. Their
valley home has on either side great
lodges Of rocks running up in benches
thousands Of feet. In the valley are
groves of cottonwood trees, and a luxu-
RANT vegetation is seen on all sides.
There are about 245 or $50 in the tribe of
the Supai. They live absolutely alone
They do not intermarry with other
tribes, neither do they mix with the scat
tering white people Of the regions round
about. When they are in need of forage
or food outside of that which they can
get in their own rich valley they sally
out, make their trades or purchases and
return home They are monogamists.
every man having one wife and no more.
They do not live in communal form
either. but preserve the family in it's in
tegrity. The men are little above the
average height. they are strong and
active. and they are noted for their skill
in climbing the mountains and in bring
ing down the game they need. They are
very shy and suspicious of Indians from
other tribes, and it is only by the most
careful and adroit means that white
man can approach them and gain any
information as to their life. The women
are smaller in stature, very fond of
adornment and given to fantastic deco
rations Of their faces.
The Supai Indians appear to be far
above many other tribes in morals
They look with scorn upon any one who
asks them questions as to their married
relations, holding that this is no ones
business but their own, and the fact that
the woman of the tribe who goes wrong
ia subjected to the most pronounced
neglect, and generally is put out of the
way, is pretty good proof that they are
possessed Of sort of simple. heroic vir-
tue
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
Mr.. Wittick found eleven of the men
totally blind He believes this to be
due to the splitting of the arrows when
the bows were stretched too taut. Some
<of Tho uyor,,o,, x,bo uyor,11 ha caa,, ei+4;,,,
barefooted in front of their thatched
roof houses have the most peculiar big
toes that ever were seen on human be-
ing. The toes were not so very large.
but they were of abnormal width at the
ends. In some cases the big toe would
be an inch and a half broad at the end
and very fiat and thin. When Mr.
Wittick and his party entered the canyon
they found the Supai very gentle and
hospitable in their aboriginal way, but
very reticent at the same time.
Proceeding down the canyon through
the fertile valley, along which was a
slender stream Of never failing water.
the purest and sweetest in the land, they
reached magnificent waterfall, where
the silver stream plunges over preci-
pice 257 feet in height, and falling in a
stream of the rarest beauty down to the
pool below. Cottonwood trees were
felled. lashed together and ladder
made in sections, the whole seventy-six
feet long, and down this the explorers
climbed in their exit from the home of
these strangely interesting semi-savage
folk. The beautiful stream has been
utilized by the Indians in irrigating
those portions Of the valley that were
sterile, and it appears that for centuries
they have known Of this method Of aid
ing nature.
Wanted Something in His Box.