Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-14
MOJAVE CHILDREN.
INDIAN TOTS THAT ARE NOT BROUGHT
UP LIKE OTHER BABIES.

They Are Taught to Run, but That Is About
All-No Soap Is Wasted on Them, but
They Are Healthy and Are Generally
Bright and Pretty. I,
If the watchful American mother who
carefully guards her baby against the cold
and 0ivcs II = dniIv both IN porfnrnod Wa
ter could follow q MoJave Indian child
through its infancy, she would more than
once be horror stricken at what she saw.
The Mojaves are an indolent tribe who
live in the southern part of California and
the western pnrt of Arizona. The men and
women are alike stoutly averse to any
thing like manual labor, and they gather
about the towns and live in a miserable
way off the proceeds from the sale of curl
GUS bits of pottery which they fashion from
red clay and beads. The Mojave women
age rapidly. Their faces wrinkle and wien
before they are 80 years old
The Moiave baby is a precocious crea-
ture. 1t comprehends great deal at a very
early age. 1t is usually on its feet at the
age of 8 months, and if male is capable
of running a smart foot race at years.
Almost without exception Mojave babies
are attractive. Their dusky faces are al
ways plump Their coal black eyes shine
like beads and stare fearlessly ut the
stranger, brimful of frank inquiry and
wonderment. The Indian baby never
smiles, but as soon as it is strong enough
to raise its dinpled fists it will clutch
vigorously at the finger of person If pre-
scented and try to get it into its mouth.
Notwithstanding the apparent careless
ness of the Mojave mother regarding the
diet of her offspring, her children are al
ways healthy in appearance and an infant
death rarely occurs The only nourish-
ment offered the children is what they are
able to draw from the maternal breast,
and upon this natural sustenance they
thrive The children are nursed until they
have cut all their teeth, and many of them
are not weaned until they are upward of
4 years old.
But little attention is paid to the clean
illness of the chilren. There are no regu-
lar ablutioDs, and it is very doubtful
whether such thing as soap was ever ap-
piled to the body of Mojave infant. a
few years ago n woman who was travel
ing west by rail saw crowd Of Mojaves
at one of the Arizona stations, and, posi-
bly, with the idea of sowing a seed that
would develop into great good, presented
one of the Indian women with a cake Of
perfumed soap. The article addressed it,
self to the nostrils of the woman favora.
bly,, and, thinking that it was u choice
edible, she sunk her teeth into 1t. The
effect was instantaneous and pronounced
The squaw spat out the mouthful that Sho
had taken and threw the remainder OF the
cake at the woman who gave it to her.
Occasionally in hot weather the mothers
battle their children. The manner in which
they do it is most amusing. They go to
a body of water strip the child and, plac-
ing strip of cloth under its arms hold
the ends in hand and swing the child over
the water, sousing it vigorously for two
or three minutes. OF course the child
strangles, coughs, kicks and struggles to
get it's BREATH but it never cries. When
the mother is satisfied that the condition
of che child,is sufficiently improved, she
drops it on the ground and allows 1t to
roll around in the sun until its skin is
dry. This treatment is given the child
more with the view of keeping it comfort
ably cool than respectfully clean.
The babies before they are able to walk
a(re carried around in their mothers arms
lying on boards. These boards are about
3 fdeet long and IS inches wide at the
broad end. They taper to a narrow width
at thd opposite end. Over these boards are
loops tof leather that are there for the pur-
poseSof holding the child on the board rig
idly.l Wrapped in thin cloth, the child is
laid on its back and thrust under these
loops. Another loop or strap is fastened
across its chest. Thus strapped down, it
sleeps and lies for the most of the time
when awake. 1t is never allowed to lie
fiat on the floor or ground when out of the
mothers arms. The cradles are left stand
ing at a sharp angle against the side of
the house or a rock or tree.
Over the head Of this peculiar cradle Is
a covering. Several pieces of pliable wood
are arched over the board, and over these
bows a piece of bright colored calico is
thrown, with a curtain in front that is al
ways lowered when the child is sleeping.
The Mojave women are very affectionate
mothers. They carry their infants in their
arms almost constantly, and when seated
they are always swaying to and fro and
grooming weirdly and softly their peculiar
lullaby, whether the child is asleep or
awake. When the mother has an infant
in arms, the father performs all the duties
of the household. He provides food for the
family and cooks it until the child is in
degree capable Of taking care of itself