Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-20
INDIANS AT THE FAIR.
Tribes Of Aborigines as Columbus
Saw Them to Be Exhibited,
ALL LIVING IN NATIVE FASHION.
To Be Complets Ethnslogical Show Of
Great Historic Value.
EVEN PATAGoNIAKs WILL BE THERE

grouped one OF the most striking features
of the Columbian Exposition. Visitors to
the Fair who walk along the shore of this
bay will find groups of native American
peoples, arranged geographically and living
under normal conditions in their native
habitations
It is intended to show by this peculiar
exhibit the life of all distinctive triDes in.
babiting the Western hemisphere when
Columbus landed for the first time. Fol
nearly year number of special agents
have been working among the tribes Of
Eskimo, red Indians in the West, and the
uncivilized tribes in the wild regions OF
Central South America. They have now
secured native families that will represent
savage life from pole to equator and from
equator to pole. The chain is complete.
These savages will live in their peculiar
habitations, on the Exposition grounds and
carry on their native manufactures just as
they would at home. 1t is estimated that
200 savages will be camped along the little
bay. This exhibit, for it is not to be wild
West show in any sense of the term, is to be
part of the department of ethnology and
archaeology, which is to illustrate early man
and the conditions under which he lived.
A Regular E,hnographical D,par.ment.
That section Of the exhibit which is de-
voted to living descendants of the natives of
the Western hemisphere is called techni-
cally, the ethnographical exhibit, and on
the principle that greater interest centers in
animate beings than in inanimate objects, it
will perh aps be the most interesting feature
| of the department. although in reality q
subordinate one. Prof. F. W. Putnam has
immediate charge of the preparations that
have been made for bringing these savages
to the Fair He is chief of the department
] of ethnology, and occupies the same chair
| in Harvard College. Prof Putnam has Sc
cured a strip of ground 200 feet wide and
1000 feet long for the habitations of the
tribal representatives who are to be brought
] to the Fair.
"We have now made arrangements"
said Prof Putnam Yesterday, "by which
these families of native peoples will live
| upon the Exposition grounds in their ma
tive habitations and customs, carrying on
their aboriginal manufactures, and in
fact conducting themselves Just as they
would in the wilds of their own homes, if
indeed such people can be said to have
Fl xed homes. We have made every effort
to bring together the full-blooded natives
in each case, so as to show the actual de-
scendants OF the people who were living on
our continent 400 years ago. The work of
getting these people has been attended BY
some danger and no little expense, but L
am confident that the exhibit will prove to
be worth all the energy and money that have
been expended in its collection.
Efforts for Voluntary Indian Exhibits.
eve have offered every possible induce.
ment to native tribes in North, South and
Central America to make their own exhi-
bits ut the Fail, that is to come at their own
expense and depend upon the sale of their
peculiar tr1nkets for sufficient revenue to
meet the outlay. In some cases this will
be done, in others we will have to bring the
natives to Chicago ourselves, while in still
other cases they will be sent by the govern
ments of which they are subjects. These
representatives will embrace families of
Eskimo, Indian tribes of British Columbia
and Of various parts of the United States, a
family of Myas from Yucatan, famous for
their pottery making; a family of Mosquito
Indians from the Mosquito coast of Central
America and natives of Guatemala. We
will also have from Venezuela a typical
family living in the peculiar houses which
they build upon platforms over the water,
in manner similar to the houses built BY
the ancient pile dwellers OF the Swiss lakes.
out in the lakes or streams for miles and
cut off trunks of trees q few feet above the
water On these stumps they erect their
houses. That is their way of fortifying
themselves against invasion of adjoining
hostile tribes, and 1t Is their method of Sc
curing protection from beasts of the forest.
1--WE will also have from the northern
coast of Central America represe natives of
the Telamaques in their native simplicity.
From Paraguay we will have number of |
Gusranias, the latter weaving the most DEL |
icate and beautiful lace imaginable from |
the fbers of palm and other vegetable fiber. |
Native Manufactures OF Colombia.
'Then we will also have three families |
from Colombia engaged in their aboriginal |
manufactures, such as the production of |
shoes and garments from fiber. From the |
northern and southern boundaries of Brazil |
we will get two distinctive families, which,
like all the others, will live exactly as they |
were when our exploring expeditions found |
them.
'It may be matter of some interest to
know that we have also completed arrange
ments for several families of Caribs, the
lowest of the races of people that met Col
umbus on our shores From Bolivia and
Peru are coming families OF Amyras and
Quicha. These are the descendants of the
than 800 years ago. From the district
further south we will get family of Pata-
gonians, and, probably, family of Terra
del Flu egans, lowest of all in the scale of
humanity. In all cases these simple people
will bring their own habitations with them.
'These houses or tents. or whatever they
may be, will not be constructed especially
tor the Exposition, but they will be torn
down in the countries now inhabited by
the savages and shipped to Chicago lust as
they are, so that the actual habitations will
be secured. Probably the most interesting
habitation that any Of the savages will put
up will be small pueblo OF the Moaui
Indians from Arizona They will build
typical structure of stone, and In it about 20
Indians will live and carry on the work of
making pottery, weaving and basket-mak-
ing. In all three of these lines the Moquis
have attained great proficiency, as well as
In loom-weaving. This exhibit in itself
will prove q most interesting and instruc-
tive one as showing the development of
native arts among the Indian tribes of our
own country.
The Qaota Prom British Columbia.
''The other tribes of the United States will
be represented by families of distinctive
stocks, great care being taken In every in
stance to secure representative families.
From the regions of British Columbia we
have already arranged to bring Is Indians
who represent three or four distinct tribes
With them will come one ofthe great wooden
houses from Vancouver. It is now on the
way to Chicago This house is claborately
,arved after q fashion peculiar to the In
lians of that section.
u l