The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-11-07
C0l>3 AND BUTTONS.
A PLACE WHERE THEIR PAR
IIY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
Navajo Indians Use Silver Dollars
and Subsidiary Silver Pieces
as Money and Also to
Eli ButtOnhOIes.

money and gold We're occasionally
found in the traders stores, but the
Indians would have none of it; with
them it was silver or no trade. They
would readily accept an individual
paper from some one who was known
to them, and such orders were fire.
quently issued by arrangement on
stores fifty, or even 100 miles away,
but they were always paid in silver on
presentation.
At the present time some Of these
Indians understand paper money and
will accept it in payment, or rather
they understand that SCREEN paper"
is q general order on oil tho stores
and will be redeemed in silver on pre-
sentaton to any OF thcm. It has the
same Standing as The ''red paper" or
disbursiug agents check, sometimes
issued to chem in payment for work.
Bu5 The bulk of the tribe still demand
silver, and all look with suspicion on
gold, which is regarded as the store
Keepers money. Silver IS known as
"pe8h-Iakai," the white metal, and is
highly esteemed, not only rs crcu-
lating medium, but also for ornaments
and jewelry.
The principal wealth OF the Na7aios,
and they are wealthy tribe, he's al
ways been and still it in sheep and
goats and horses, originally stolen
from other Indian tribes and from the
Moxicans. The bulk of their business
with the traders is in the sale Of wool
and peits. The wool clip is consider.
ably over 100, 600 pounds per annum,
and as they are not an agricultural
people, but live principally on the
flesh of sheep and goats, there is q
large trade in pelts.
A large supply Of silver coin is nec'
essary for the conduct of this business,
especially since competition among
the traders has brought about the Gus
tom of paying for al! wool and pelts
in cash, instead of by paper slip or
memorandum, to be afterward traded
out IN the store.
Until few years ago nearly all the
silver coin that came into the country
remained there. Being paid out by
the traders or acquired in various
ways, it did not return to the stores
as coin, but was promptly turned over
to the silycrsmiths and by them man
ufactured luto buttons and ornaments
Of various kinds. These buttons
passed current in the stores for their
weight in coin, and formed an etfec-
tive medium of exchange among the
Indians themselves, Us their value was
constant.
The button really formed better
circulating medium than coin. TO q
people who have no pocket in their
clothing they are far more convenient
to handle, being attached 10 various
articles of clothing and equipment.
The Navajos, like most primitive
people, and some not so primitive, are
much addicted to gambling, and it is
not ulcommon to see dozen or more
OF them Squirting on the ground
around blanket spread ont for a
cloth, all intently Interested in the
game. Ii a run of i'll luck exhausts
the capital of q player he has but to
cut button Oft his moccasin or his
Logging. A player has been known to
carry on game for thirtysix hours
continuously with the buttons which
formed part OF his clothing " hen he
commenced.
Time was, and that not long ago,
when the average Navajo carried from
twenty to fifty dollars worth Of oliver
ornaments on his person, and as the
tribe numbers over Il, 000, consider
able quantity of silver coin was ab-
sorbed by it. OF the many hundreds
OF pounds of silver which have been
worked into buttons and oth,r orna.
ments, it is doubtful whether single
pound has reached the tribe in any
shape other than coin, and all but
minute percentage was i'll American
coin. At the present time the cloth
ing and personal ornaments of the av-
erase Navajo, exclusive of buttons,
would hardly be appraised at fifty
cents. What has become Of oil this
silver is problem; probably a large
proportion OF it, IN the forms Of silver
Kidding briddles, etc., is in the hands
OF the traders in pawa.
One result OF tho hard times has
been the rehabilitation of the silver
button. The traders have been COM
PEELED to accept buttons at their coin
weight or go out Of business. This was
not accomplished all at once, but
gradually and through stress OF neces.
slty. Other silver ornaments have
shrunk in value, but why they should
the Indian cannot understand.
On button values the Navajo stands
firm he insists that the parity OF coin
and buttons shall be maintained. It
is incouceivable to him that button
made from q dollar, and perhaps show.
ING tho face OF the coin on its reverse
side, should not be worth dollar any.
where and at all times. No amount
OF talk will convince him that it is or
ovor COW va mouth 1ac, opJ No oop