Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-25
ZUNI SUPERSTlTIONS.

Strange Things Observed by Teacher
Among Them-A Smoke Cure.
Cleveland correspondent New York
Times: Miss Mary e. Dissette. a sister
of Capt. Il. d. Dissette Of this city,
and who for the past four years has
been in charge Of the mission school
which the Presbyterian Board Of Home
Zuni in New Mexico, is now visiting
here. She tells many very interesting
details of the work of attempting to
civilize these Indians.
There are, she says, about 1,6O0 per-
sons in the village, divided into clans,
such as the Bear and Eagle clans, the
head men Of which form a council for
the general direction Of the affairs Of
the village. The government trader
and the ladies OF the mission are the
only whites in the community. Twen-
ty-three children have been gathered
into the school. Great difficulty was
experienced in securing regular attend
ance and to stimulate it the plan Of
giving a meal to the children at noon
was adopted, but even this appeal to
the appetite did not draw any great
numbers.
The Zuni children do very much as
they please in childhood's years, but
as they grow older they are compelled
to observe all the customs of their
people rigidly. The first thing which
it is necessary to teach the children is
cleanliness
1t is one of the superstitions Of this
people never to reckon their age. It
shows ingratitude to the gods who give
life, they declare, to do so, and so no
one knows, in all the Zuni pueblo, how
old he or his nearest associate is.
The most difficult thing with which
the mission teachers have to contend,
aside from the extreme conservatism
of the people, is their superstition. AS
sun worshipers, they are supposed to
keep the fire in the estrifas burning
all the time, but they do not. It is
lighted only on occasions of special re-
ligious significance, such as the sol
stices. Their religion is complicated
with all sorts Of traditions and super
stitions and the work Of the teachers
Is often hampered by them. One Of
their pet superstitions is that the hair
of the animal which INJURIES a person
or a part of the implement by which
they are hurt, if burned and the smoke
inhaled. will cure the injury or pre-
vent serious results. One day child
at the mission fell from a little toy
wagon. It was not injured save a
little bump, but the mother asked that
a silver be given her that she might
burn it and let the child inhale the
smoke in order that it might escape
serious consequences. Miss Dissette re-
fued and when the little one died the
next winter of consumption, as scores
of Zuni children do, the mother and
all the other natives firmly believed it
was because the request had not been
granted.
In summer the village is very dull.
but in winter, when all have gathered
into the great group of adobe houses,
there is more excitement. The Zunis
are great dancers. They pass the win
ter in three stages either preparing for
a dance, dancing, or recovering from
a dance. The principal feast occurs In
November, when the new houses are
dedicated and tie ZIlnis fill up on bad
whisky, bought of the Navajos or the
MeXicans. The debauch usually lasts
a week or more. They cover their feet
with preparation Of resin and other
Ingredients, which they alone know,
that renders them insensible to heat
and then jump into the fire during
their dances. They use the same Pre-
paration to fortify their bodies before
scourging themselves and each other
with cacti
A suit for the recovery of some
thirty-three square miles of land in Col
orado has been instituted by persons
claiming to be the descendants of
Spanish grandee, the claim being that
the land was granted by the king of
Spain to the great-grandfather of those
now suing. These cases, no doubt, con-
tinue TO be brought occasionally though
not in one case in a hundred do they
amount to anything. Even when title
is reasonably well proved public policy
is against a disturbance of existing oc-
cupants. The result of the famous
Gaines will case in New Orleans made a
great many dreamers and litigants.
George Horn, Of GAINESVILLE, died at
u. Or