Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-03-09
NAVAJO INDIANS.
THE TRIBE OF THRIFTY RED MEN IN
NEW MEXICO.

Their Picturesque Appearance In Their
Autumnal Trading Visits to ~Town-Some-
thing About Their Past History-The
Lesson Kit Carson Taught Them.
"The most interesting people that I saw
Of the many races of the southwest said
the tourist newly returned from a trans
continental trip, swere the Navajo Indians
In New Mexico. Arriving at Albuquerque
late at night, I had begun to dress about
half past 8 O'Clock the next morning, when
a trampling of hoofs called me to the win
dow, and looking out the town seemed to
be in the hands of Indians. Through the
doors Of the large stores on the main street
Indians were passing in and out or,
grouped upon the platforms, were exam
lining and cheapening goods as earnestly
as country people might do in New Eng
land village on cattle show day. But how
picturesque, even in sordid bargaining,
were these dusky children of the plains
and mountains!
"Down the center of the wide sandy
street a dozen mounted Indians were driv-
ing a band of young, unbroken horses,
some riding ahead to prevent a stampede
in that direction, and the others, in a half
S1AS1C OCA1hu, u1Slus 1Ol"dIu UAC uCIu.
Here were perhaps so wild steeds which
had never known stable, fodder, bride or
spur, stepping high and prancing, with
wild eyes glancing suspiciously about and
tossing names and tails. Every few yards
they would all gather together with their
heads toward the center, anu it was with
difficulty that this circle could be broken
and the horses urged along. At q square
a little way down the avenue the herd was
held by it's riders, Il crowd of people gath
cred, and trading evidently begun at once
at a lively rate.
"'What does all this crowd of Indians
mean9' 1 asked of the boy from Missouri
who brought up my hot water.
"'TEem's Navajos,' he said. 'The first
lot of 'em's just got inter town ter Go their
fall trading. They've brung blankets and
ponies ter swap for silver dollars and store
truck
"After breakfast, when l went out on
the street, l was much impressed by the
appearance and ways of these a%borigines.
Both men aud women are of good size, with
massive figures, open, intelligent faces
and impressive dignity OF amer. Light
er in tint than many of the Indian tribes,
their features display markedly the Tartar
characteristics. To me they as strongly
suggested Il Monaghan as some otter In
dian peoples do a Semitic derivation.
"They come in from their reservation
every autumn in parties varying in num-
Der from a single family up to so or 60
members and camp just outside the town,
sleeping in the open air or sheltered by
old army tents and blankets stretched from
poles. Every day of my stay they came
into the public square or upon the main
street to trade. To see these dusky riders
sitting in unstudied picturesque attitudes
upon their ponies, holding in check a herd
of restless horses while waiting for buyers,
was a sight that beat pictures. They wore
sombreros or old style but costly fur caps
bought from the traders, and some of them
had Mexican spurs at their heels. Other
wise their costumes were pure Navajo,
with buckskin or calico jumpers, buckskin
legglngs, moccasins and massive silver or
naments in the shape of bracelets, earrings
and crescent charms hammered out from
Mexican dollars by their native jewellers.
Here and there in the chill morning a Ma
vajo would stalk along draped in one of
those splendid wooden blankets which they
weave themselves of most substantial tex
ture in great variety of barbaric colors and
designs. Although their features were in
general impossible, there was an intan-
gible air among these Indians of being on
q picnic, and sometimes at some mishap,
such rs the struggle of a purchaser with
an intractable colt, they would roll in
their saddles in uproarious laughter. There
were no signs that any of them had in
obliged in firewater, and I think that
among Indians in general the Navajos,
like the Pueblos, rank pre-eminent in so.
Driety. They are too good business men
to take the chances of loss through drunk
enness. The squaws, who rode astride
their horses man fashion, were comely,
luxuriant and shapely of figure and both
modest and independent if sometimes a
little fierce of demeanor.
"The Navajo Indians up to a time about
81 years ago were the scourge of all civil
liked races of New Mexico, the peaceful
Pueblo Indians being favorite victims OF
their depredations. Unlike other Indians,
they, owing perhaps to the Tartar origin
already limited at, nave always inclined to
a pastoral life and to accumulate focks
and herds. The Utes and Apaches, when
raiding ranches and villages, would feast
Unfortunately upon the flesh of cattle and
sheep, manning and Strengthening many
animals from mere w~antonness. They
would take back to their rancherios-vil-
lages-Wlth them only horses and mules
and asses which could be ridden or driver
ahead at a gallop. The Navajos, on the
contrary, would drive to their mountain
Businesses all the cattle, sheep and goats
they could capture and collect to add tx
the stock they already had. When the ia.
nous frontiersman, Colonel Kit Carson, in
1862, made his historic campaign against
the Navajos, he found no way so effective
; to reduce them to submission as, after
wasting their fields and destroying theil
villages, to kill all their stock.
"Since the lesson of that campaign til,
: Navajos have never been on the warpath
) but having renewed their tlocks and herds
! with some early assistance from the gov
! erment, have gone steadily on increasing
} in numbers and wealth.. They numbe
3 now nearly go, 900 souls. Unlike most In
3 dian tribes, they are self supporting, re
7 curing no annuities or rations. The,
own several hundred thousand-some sa.
a million-sheep and many thousand cat
: tie and ponies. Their reservation in north
: ern New Mexico and Arizona contain
( nearly 5000 square miles, and they use
8 wide adjoining region of government Ian,
for. range.'-New York Sun.
e . p...E .tssH|rS
Xxx. "A ShRkesDearean Suppestfon.