The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-25
RUDE NAVAJO INDIAN HOMES.
No Progress Has Been Made in Their
Character for Centuries.
From the Scientific American.

From the Scientific American.
In New Mexico and Arizona the Nav
ajo Indians, who have been but little af-
fected by the march of civilization, have
homes wh,ch show unchanged the ideas of
hundreds of years ago. Rude and print
i've as the houses of the Navajoes-ho-
gans. they call them-are every detail is
dictated by rules strictly adhered to. The
erection of one is a real ceremc NAL, fol-
lowed by an elaborate ritual of d dicati n
Thousands of e. ami of these queer
houses are to be found in the Navajo re
sorvation and hundreds more are built
very year. The hogans are hidden away
50 effe tually hat travellers unaccustom-
ed to the country might go for days and
not see NOR than a dozen, and get the
impression that the country is practically
IN rra Ait d, yet the tribe numbers y o
The 81 the Navajo prefers for his home
Is either some sheltered nook in a mesa
or a southern slope on the edge of a grove
of Hinon or cedar Seldom is a house
built close to a spring or other water. 1t
is probable that this custom Of half-con-
ca ed habitations is a survi al ON the
me when the Navajoes lived by p'uuder
and momeni arily expe ted reprsals FIR m
ir victims. When the site is selected
h family moves to the pace, taking al
he r possessions with them including
1ocks of sheep and goats and herds of
nors $ and cattle. The host en-. as the
head Of the family is called drives the
p MICS ard cattle: he CART his arms
for III c7vo,es NAV be troublesome at
eht two or hree blankets and a buck
skin on hi saddle. but nothing more AT
ter m CT mes a flock of sheep and goa s.
b ca ing and nibbling at the bushes and
grass as hey slowly trot along, urged
b the dust-begr.med s1uaw and he" chill
dron
Search is made for suitable trees. Three
of them must terminate in spreading
forks. but the other two, which are in
tended for the door frame, are chosen for
their straightness The timbers are laid
on the ground with their forked ends to-
gether. somewhat in the form of the let
ter 1T" extreme care being taken TO
have the butt of one log point exactly to
the north, another to the south, and the
third TO the west. The straight tmbers
are then laid down, with their small ends
close to the forks of the north and south
timbers, and their butt ends pointing due
east
When the tsadi, or frame Of five timbers.
is completed, the sides of The structure are
filled in with smaller poles and branches
Of trees set as closely ms possible on the
ground. and bound together At the same
time other workers construct the door
frame, which. in appearance. is like a
dormer window. Two straight po,es with
forked tops, are driven into the ground at
the base of and close inside of the door
way timbers. a cross stick is placed in the
forks and another on the doorway TIM
bers. at the same level. This provides
the basis for a fiat roof. the space between
1t and the apex of the hogan on the slop-
ing side Of the projecting doorway are
filed in with upright sticks The entire
structure is next covered with cedar bark
and earth is then thrown on to thick
perfectly wind and water proof. This
completes the house.