Evening star., 1901-12-07

ularies as was possible 10 note 20 what
tongues they bear relationship.
From El Paso / went to the village OF
fsleta, about fifteen miles to the southeast
and on the American side. Here I found
the Tigua indians. who seem to have set
tied in the place about 1920. Their ances-
tors probably colonized there after the
great rebellion of the Pueblos Of New Mex
leo In 16so The present town is composed
OF Tiguas, Mexicans and Americans. One
In every thirty speaks English.
The Tiguas are devout Catholics. cele-
brating all OF the feast days of the Roman
list faith. Soon after my arrival had
council with the old men of the tribe. They
are self-respecting people, receiving no aid
from the government They have become
thoroughly Mexicanized and could not b..
DISTINGUISHED from Mexicans except by
their features.
they stiil retain their native govern
ment, IN part. They have a head chief or
cacique.' who inherits his office and CON
trois all others. He is revered as the par
ent or the tribe and wears a badge of Office
salo 10 De very ancient. Other officers or
the trloe' elected yearly, are the governor.
lieutenant governor. war chief and five as
sistant war chiefs These functionaries de-
termtne dates for dances, foot races. com
munal rabbit hunts and other suryiyals ~
FORMER aboriginal life. During my cotn-
chs With them negotiations were ALWAYS
abruptly ended by the sound OF the aneelus
winch was the signal for a prayer uttered
IN the Tfgua language.
Their church is very ancient. Accorlin,,
20 document still preserved its founda-
tions date back to 1892 Ii is visited ono.
month by Mexican priest. At oae time
the people Of Ysieta were so beset by the
Apaches that on some occasions they were
opiiged every night TO put their wives and
chlloren In the church, while the warriors
defended the village
Every year the Tiguas celebrate the Sav
oI s thelr patron saint, San Antonio. by hold
iiis d strange dance in front of the church
AT the conclusion of the Christian services
is ihls celebration is a survival of an old m
oian dance. 1t is accompan MED by tho heat
ing of drum and the sound of ra,,Ies
loehtical with those used in heather cere-
monies OF the ancient Pueblos
Indian Christmas.
Had remained among the Tiguas until
CHRISTMAS l might have witnessed anotbar
dance. held In front of the church a, ,ba
conclusion of mass In this annually mar
ticipate two men. wearing huge masks Of
buffalo skin. This Christmas ceremony,
they call the dance of the TURTLE for the
reason that the participants formerly wore
turtle shells under their knees.
crossed the Rio Grande and visited
the little town OF Senecue. a few miles
away, on the Mexican side This is a
settlement OF MeXicanized Piros Indians
whose ancestors lied in central New
HeAico. Iheir aboriginal language how
ever. is now practically lost and none of
tnem claims ability to carry on conyersa
ton In 1t. With the present generation il
VIII become extinct Their church is at
ieast TWO centuries old. In front of il they
hoid dances similar to those of the Tiguas
ana nave similar government In the
Gnurch are many strange images of saints.
Ihelr faNorfte Is the patron of farmers. be-
tore whose Image. standing in a niche I'm
the wall, are two miniature figures repre-
senting oxen with pIows
An Indian passion play is an event TO he
seen at Senecue every Good Friday A life
size hgure of the Christ. with bleeding sides
ana brow. is carried from the church and
placed upon a cross. Live men of the tribe
STAND on either side to represent Roman
soldiers The raising Of the Savior to the
cross is accompanied by the heating of
their drums. The Piros stand watch over
the cross and its burden all through the
nights until the third day when occurs a
representation of the ascension, made by
mechanical means
Il visited San Lorenzo a little hamlet
TWO miles from Senecue originally settled
by Sumas Indians. Here are held dances
similar to those of the other two towns r
also went to Juarez, opposite FL Paso set
tied by the Mansos Indians in 1898. | found
that the aboriginal language had entirely
disappeared from this settlement"
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS Jr