Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-20
INDIAN W0MANH00D
George Wharton James Speaks In
An Entertaining Manner of
the Pueblos.
BEAUTIFUL INDIAN MAIDENS
The Intricate Basket Work of the Apaches
"A Description of Pueblo Dress and
Manners "A Visit to Acoma
and Zuni.

and Zuni.
George Wharton James is delivering
at the American Museum of Natural
History It New York a series of lect-
ures on the Southwestern Indians of the
United States.
ACOMA.
Acoma is that picturesque city of the
cliffs near which is the famous En-
chanted Mesa, about which there has
been so much wild and furious discus
sion. The Acomas have remained UNI
touched by all the rawlings of the scien-
lists, and none more so thar the young
girl whom / shall describe. She is of the
supercilious type. Proud and reserved.
she is not generally liked by her female
companions, yet the young men sf AGO.
ma quarrel over her, and even fight for
her favors. She disdains the simple
dress of her Acoma sisters, and clothes
herself after the fashion of he few
white women she has seen.
PUEBLO WOMEN.
All Pueblo Indian women dress alike.
OF course, there are exceptions, owing
to the influence of white women, but
where the primitive customs are fol-
lowed the chief and only garment is a
well-woven blanket, made of cotton or
wool, or both. grown, dyed, spun and
,>ro ~ nod NV tho urn11onr hnrCG1yynC
The men, however. do the weaving, up
on crude looms of their own construc-
ton. The garment is thrown under the
left arm and over the right shoulder,
The seam is Their made down the right
side, leaving space for the armhole. A
sash 8 or 4 inches wide is now wound
several times around the waist and the
dress is complete, except for leggings
and moccasins, which are only put on,
however, when occasion demands. The
dress generally reaches below the~knees.
and is picturesque, healthful and suit
able to their outdoor life. The attempt
of the office of Indian affairs to per-
suade them to discard it and wear the
skirts and p%etticoats of a white Wom-
ans costume is neither good sense nor
good policy. The Indian will never be
civilized if those who have charge of
that work deem it is to be accomplished
by making him change his style of dress
and cooking and building and ape that
of the white nan
APACHE GIRLS.
The Apache girl is regarded as a great
beauty by her people. She has the
heavy lower eyelids, and protuberant
cheek bones of the Apache, and her lips,
| though thick, are of the Indian and not
of the negro type. She is an accom-
| plished basket maker, and the basket in
her hand and the water bottle b. her
side are both of her own manufacture.
The art of basket making among the In
| dams is fast dying out. The older wom-
! en- are passing away and the younger
| ones do not care for the work. 1t l., te-
dious, arduous and poorly compensated.
The design of this basket is most inter-
esting, being a modified circular repre-
sentation of the Swastika. The %serrated
edges, or terraces, represent rainclouds.
The basket is unfinished, yet you can
see portions of the bodies of men and
women. These are dancers, and seen in
combination with the rain-terraced
Swastika denote that it was the girls
intention to use it as an Offering to
chose above in her prayers for rain
and good fortune at the next thapala, OF
peach dance, of her people.
A zUNI WOMAN.
1 have the picture of the wife and
daughter of Palo- Wach-Ti-Wah, once
governor of the pueblo of Zuni in New
Mexico, where Lieut.. Frank Fl. Gushing
spent several years. The mother in her
young days was regarded as a great
beauty, but hard work, exposure to the
fierce storms of winter and the equally
fierce and torrid heat Of summer have
made her features harsh and wrir.kled.
But her daughter was just growing into
full and beautiful young womanhood
when a friend made the photograph,
and when I saw her two or three years
later she was a true beauty. Had she
been dressed in white woman's costume
and trained in the ways of an eastern
drawing room nothing but her dark
skin, and possibly a little greater full
ness of the lips than our white girls
show, would have told that she was not
of u own race. Her voice was sweet,
musical and we'll modulated, her eyes
bewitching, and she was full of a mer-
ry, pleasant humor that attracted and
delighted all who were privileged to
penetrate the reserve all well brought
Yp Indian girls observe toward white
people,"
LEGAL NOTICE.
In the Probate Court, Santa Fe coun-
ty, N. M. In the matter of the last will
and testament of Eliza O. Wilcox, de-
ceased.
To whom it may concern: Whereas,
the last will and testament of Eliza o.
Wilcox, deceased, was filed in this Of
flee on this 9Th day of April, A. D. 1900,
Now, therefore, notice is hereby given
that Monday, the 7th day of May, A. D.
1900, at the hour of 10 o'clock a. m. of