Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-03-06
QUEER IVA VALLEY.

M, gives an interesting account Of
the Nava-Supais, of the Supai canyon.
Being a man Of adventurous turn Of
mind he took trip up the canyon and
located the tribe in the narrow, valley
like enclosure between the mighty
walls Of the Supai canyon. Supai is the
name which Mr.. Supai gave the canyon
himself after having made trip to
the region.
On reaching the canyon he found
the Indians in the midst of maryell-
ously fertile valley, diminutive as tits,
where all sorts Of grains and fruits
grow in rank profusion, where there
are splendid climatic influences nearly
the twelvemonth through, and where
all that tends to build up the physical
powers is at hand. He made investi-
cations, 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 Affects. He
says, on the contrary that as far as can
be ascertained they are allied to the
Wallapai.
The tribe is most singular one.
Their valley home has on either side
great ledges of rocks running up in
benches thousand of feet. In the val
ley are groves of cottonwood trees, and
luxuriant vegetation is seen on all
sides. There are about 245 or 250 in
the tribe Of the Supai They live abso-
lutely alone. They do not inter-
marry with other tribes, neither do
they mix with the scattering 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 mono
gamists, every man having one wife
and no more. They do not live in a
communal form either, but pre-
serve the family in it's integrity. The
men are a 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
arc very shy and suspicious of Indians
from other tribes, and it is only by the
most careful and adroit means that a
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 decorations of their faces.
The Supai Indians appear to be far
above many Of the other tribes in
morals. They look with scorn upon any
one who asks them questions as to
their married relations, holding that
this is 10 ones business but their own,
anG the fact that the woman Of the
tribe who goes wrong is subjected to
the most pronounced neglect, and
generally is put out of the way, is
pretty good proof that they are pos
sessed Of a simple heroic virtue.
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 the women who
would be seen sitting barefooted in
front of their thatched-roof house have
the most peculiar big toes that were
ever seen on human being. 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 half broad at the end and
thin. When Mr. Wittick and his par
ty 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 stream Of never
failing water, the purest and sweetest
in the land, they reached a magnid-
cent waterfall, where the silyery
stream plunges over a precipice 257
feet in height falling in stream Of
the rarest beauty down to the pool be-
low. Cottonwood trees were felled,
lashed together, and a ladder made in
sections, the whole 76 feet long, and
down this the explorers climbed in
their exit from the home of these
strangely interesting semi-sayage folk.
The beautiful stream has been utilized
by the Indians in irrigatlng the por-
tions of the valley that were sterile,
and it appears that for centuries they
have known Of this method Of aiding
nature.
A car load Of Apache indians, who
have been held as prisoners of war in
in Florida for the past three or four
years, also passed through the city
early Sunday morning for Fort Win
gate, where they will be retained as
prisoners under military guard. They