The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-21
WITH THE PUEBLOS
4 PEOPLE WHOSE CIVILIZATION BE-
GAN LONG AGO.

An Interesting Tribe of Indians Who Have
/ withstood All Sorts of Opposition and
Temptation and Have Gone on Steadily
Progressing.
OF fascinating interest is study of the
chronological evolution of the Pueblo In
dams, who occupy the picturesque region
between the upper Rio Grande and the Rio
! Colorado. When Vasquez de Coronado
and Caheza de Vaca marched into New
Mexico in 154o, they found these people al
ready in semiculturc, living in villages of
! solid edifces, three stories high and fort
/ like in construction. That they were able
/ to hold their own during almost four cen
turtles is the more surprising, since they
had constantly as neighbors nomadic tribes
of warriors and robbers, against whose
attacks they were Obliged to defend them
selves with their primitive weapons.
For two years they were able to with
stand the Spanish invaders in their ''casas
grandes." 1t had been reported to the
| Spanish commanders that several hundred
miles to the north lay great empire
named Cibola, which had seven large
, cities. In these there were long streets on
which only gold and silver smiths resided.
| Imposing palaces lowered in the suburbs,
with doors and columns of pure turquoise.
The windows were made of precious stones,
brilliantly polished. At the sumptuous
| feasts of the prince of the land enchanting
slaves served the most delicate dainties on
| golden dishes. There were mountains OF
opal rising above valleys reveling in jew
els, with crystal streams whose bottom
consisted of pure silver sand.
The disappointment of the Spaniards
was great. A number of large Indian viii
lagos were found whose inhabitants sub
sisted upon the fruits of a primitive agri-
culture. The frugality and thrift of the
! Pueblos excited the interest of the volup-
tuous Spaniards. The peculiar architec-
ture of the villages and houses also drew
their admiration. Taken as a whole, the
circles of houses resembled the cells of a
wasps' nest, of which the upper stories
were reached on a crude ladder. Entrance
could be gained only through small open
ing in the roof, not even the sides facing
the streets containing doors.
| Situated, as the MoQui villages and
Acoma were, on top of an inaccessible
rock, the Spaniards despaired of conquer
ing them. The supposed Cibola not pam
ming out according TO expectation, they
did not seek reinforcement and left the
| Pueblos in peace. Only toward the end of
the sixteenth century the Pueblos had to
submit to Spanish rule under which they
{ remained until 1913, when the territory
embracing New Mexico and Arizona was
ceded to the United States.
In some respects che Spanish supremacy
proved beneficial to the Indians. They
virtually maintained their independence.
Many Innovations in their life and Gus
/ toms can be traced from this period. The
only domestic creatures in their villages
were large turkeys, whose feathers served
as head ornaments for the warriors, but
horses, cows, sheep, goats, dogs, and, last,
but not least, the indispensable burros,
were added to their domestic stock.
The most important change in their
communistic mode of living dates from
! the annexation of New Mexico to the
! United States and the introduction OF rail
roads. Their unfriendly neishbors, the
Apaches, Comanches, Kiowas and Nava-
| ioes were restricted to their own reserva-
lions.
| Feeling safe under the powerful protec
ton of the government, these peaceable
people have begun to relinquish their old
mode OF communistic existence in the
strange dwellings. Until recently there
was a prorniscUous living together of large
| families in the numerous apartments of d
single house, to which access could only be
obtained through the small aperture in the
roof. More modern cottages are being
| built for large families, farming is carried
on on a large scale, and in some parts
grape and fruit culture is attempted, with
| good results.
All the villages are characterized by
certain industrial monopoly. In one Of
them, for instance, the pottery for all the
Pueblos is manufactured. In Others, like
the Moqui villages, all the people are en-
ployed in the making Of finely woven
goats hair blankets, in which occupation
many are great experts. Although large
number are engaged in the sale of blan-
kets and Indian goods in the southwestern
! part of the Union, in the gold diggings Of
! California, in Mormon settlements, in the
small railroad stations of Arizona, the
average Pueblo Indian prefers a settled
life. He is domestic in his habits and loves
/ his family, his cattle, his farm and his
neighbors as dearly as does his palefaced
| brother. And has he not good cause to re-
! joice and be contented with his lot? Has
he not a faithful and charming wife?
There are some pretty girls of perfect con-
tour among the Pueblo Indians, especially
/ in the Tigua villages. Are not his gleeful
children, who are enjoying jolly romp on
yonGer sand hill, obedient and reverential
in his presence? The impudent spirit Of
young America has not yet exeTted its
baleful influence here.
How scrupulously clean are the house
holds! The good housewives of the Meth
erlands do not excel the Pueblo squaws in
cleanliness. Floors carefully swept, all
! along the walls of the spacious rooms seats
and couches covered with fine variegated
rugs, the walls tastefuily decorated with
pictures and mirrors ard large cupboards
filed with luxurious fruits, meats, pastry
and jellies. Thousands of white bread
winners in the large cities would envy
these Indians if they could behold their
affluence and contented state. Nor do they
obtain all this without fatiguing toll.
The land is barren and dry, which COM
pels them to induce irrigation through
long canals from PARKWAY streams.
The Pueblo pottery of today differs but
little from that of the sixteenth century
In the pottery villages the work is done
mostly by men. who sit on the broad, shad-
I'd platform and shape their immense YES
sels in imitation of human beings and ev-
FRY imaginable animal shape. The gro
tesouely shaped mouth is generally in
tended for the opening through which the
water soup or milk is poured The squaws
are assuming more and more the occupa-
tions OF the modern housewife, though
they still grind their corn in the stone
troughs used hundreds of years ago and
they still bake their bread in thin layers
ON hot glowing stones.