Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-03-26
Nv nrlz-din Arizohn.

I
ton. whom they greatly annoyed by
permitting their herds to trespass on
thier fields. The Moquis are very in
teresting tribe of Indians numbering
about 1000 They live in seven differ
ent villages which are built on the top
of three moso's or high cliffs. Their
houses are built of stone in continuous
blocks, some of which you enter by
means of ladder to the roof which is
flat and on which you frequently see
them walking or running. the same as
on a street They are a very thrifty,
industrious Indian. and you find stored
away in their houses from one to two
years supply of corn, beans, dried peach.
es, onions, etc, and up to the first of
January | saw in their houses plenty of
water-melons. Their method of raising
corn, in which they are quite successful,
would puzzle some Of the professors OF
our agricultural colleges in the east
Their fields are situated on the sand
beds or ridges, where you would not
suppose a mullen could live without iri-
CATION, and with sharpened sticks they
make a hole in the sand foot deep then
throw in a handful of corn. The hills
are about TO 8 feet apart; they work
the ground but little after planting, but
raise quite fair crops, the ears being
sound and plump, about two thirds the
size of our Wisconsin corn. Their corn
is of different colors, some blue, some
nice deep pink, some deep orange and
some white. When gathered and stored
away in their houses each color is piled
by itself being laid up il, tiers like cord
wood. They are entitled to credit as hor-
ticulturists for they also raise on these
sand bed, most SUGGEST lilly, fine garden
vegetables. But | was more surprised
to find the numerous thrifty peach orch
ards in the said hills on the side of the
cliffs, some of the trees being foot in
diameter and very prolific. producing
the finest peaches in the United States.
many of which they dry and sell. They
have some herds of goats, sheep, cattle
and horses. but their principal beasts of
burden is the Burro, which climbs the
cliffs under immense loads.
They are a quiet, inoffeusive tribe. and
not until the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs visited their reservation last fall,
have they shown much inclination to-
wards civilization, but through his inhu
ence they have filed up the school with
and are moving down from the
cliffs into houses which the government
is assisting them to build Their estu-
fas are rooms dug out OF rocks 20 or 30
feet in diameter into which you descend
BY means of a ladder through small
opening at the top. These rooms are
used for places of worship at stated
times of the year. and at other times the
men pass their time there carding, spin
ming, knitting and weaving both cloth
and blankets; the men do all of this kind
of work, also assist in the farming and
heavy work. The women grind the
corn on stones which are placed in
narrow bin divided into three different
apartments, the stones being of different
hneness, and quite nicely built in one
corner of the room. You usually see
three women on their knees with stone
in the hands MASKING the corn on these
burrs; about the same process, | ina
CINE, as they had in Bible times. The
women also mould and bake the earth
enware jugs etc, they use, which by the
way is not as highly finished as some
that we find rlade by some former gen.
Grafton only su perior in appearance, but
not as durable as the ancient pottery Of
the Aztecs which we also find here.
The Moquis women are very modest,
chaste and industrious, and in many in.
stances are really fine looking, although
quite short in statue. They
do the counting and proposing,
and when married the husband
goes to the home of the wife to live
The children when very young are quite
light complexioned, are very affection
ate. obedient and bright, making rapid
progress in school In fact l do not be-
lieve that you could go into any town,
or take the same number of white child
rem into school speaking a foreign
language and have them show the same
progress as these little Moquis.
The Moquis like all Indians are fond
of dancing, but their dances are usually
some part or form of their
religious worship. but the snake
dance is without doubt the most
interesting aud has been written up once
| -. t,y;o, ht rnDOrtarc foY Soma Of III.