Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-06
PREHISTORIC COTTON
What the Indians Used Be-
fore the Spaniards Came.
RECENT DISCOVERY
NEW LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT OF
IT'S CULTIVATION.
Moquis Made Blankets and Belts-A
Fiber Used in Sacred
Ceremonies.
RECENT DISCOVERY

Recently new light has been thrown on
the cultivation of cotton by the Indians OF
the United States.
1t has been a puzzling question as to
when and where cotton was first used for
the purpose of making cotton cloth.
When the Spaniards explored the country
from Florida to the Mississippi they found
cotton growing in that region, but made no
mention Of its being spun or woven into
fabric.
When American pioneers pushed their
way into Arizona and New Mexico they
found the Indians living In inaccessible viii
lagos called pueblos The pueblos were for
the most part situated on high plateaus
called "mesas,'' which were practically bar
rem Of vegetation. In order to provide food
for themselves the Indians journeyed eacn
spring to their farms, situated some dis
lance from their villages, when the soil
was fertile and the waters abundant.
For this reason some of the travellers re-
lated many stories of these people, based
upon this half view of their life, so to
speak. which subsequent Investigations have
proven to be erroneous. Because they failed
to see thing they declared it did not exist.
Among the Hopis.
BY visiting these farming districts. had
they known of them, they would have found
cotton cultivated by some OF the tribes.
For instance, the Hopi Cor Moqui, as it Is
sometimes spelled) Indians now cultivate
cotton which, they state, was given them
by the Mormons; but they claim that they
always had cotton dating back to time
before the Spaniards first visited their coun-
try.
The Zuni Indians do not now grow cotton
or use 1t for making blankets, kits or belts.
For many years past. indeed ever since
scientists here studied these people-and
how many years prior to that time is not
known-the Zuni have purchased their
blankets and belts from the Hopi. In fact,
some Of the Zuni claim that it has been
their practice to obtain their cotton fabrics
from the Hopi, just as today we purchase
an article from Paris because it is Partisan
and therefore distinctive.
The Navajos on the other hand used
wool in the manufacture of their famous
and h-prized blankets. Before the in
PRODUCTION among these people of the sharp
were made wholly Of wool and colored with
native dye stuffs. To these materials, as
much as to the cunning workmanship, is
due the lasting qualities and richness in
coloring of these blankets.
Learning, however, the tricks Of their
conquerors. they have substituted an In
ferior grade Of wool, or mixed cotton, with
the wool and employed aniline dyes instead
OF those of their own manufacture, finding
1t more profitable. since the traders were
unable to detect the deception.
A Tedious Task.
The custom of purchasing cotton gar
ments from the Moqui by the Zuni had its
Inception in a very practical reason. The
task Of manufacturing cotton cloth was no
easy one with the facilities at their COM
mand
The f1bers were picked from the seeds by
hand, spread upon a stone, or other Aat
surface. and beaten with little bundle of
SUCKS TO separate the fiberS, so is to prop
erly arrange them for spinning into thread.
1t can readily be seen that this must have
been long, tedious and delicate task.
The Moqui and the Zuni. however, made
ceremonial blankets. belts and other fab
RIGS entirely Of cotton, and from the edge
Of the ceremonies in which they were used,
cotton of some kind must have been known
to them for centuries.
From whom then did they get their cot
ton?
The Spaniards found cotton growing In
This country when they first explored it, so
evidently the Indians did not obtain it
from them.
Walter Hough Of the National Museum cot
ton and squash seed were found in some
OF the ancient pueblos near Walpi. How
many years have elapsed since these seed
From This Old Seed.
The various articles associated with them
seems to prove the site to have been an
ancient burial place. Some of the seed
now used to grow cotton, which is thought
to be Identical with those found in the
graves. have been turned over to F. v.
Coville. botanist Of the Agricultural De-
partment; for identification. AS there is
considerable confusion still remaining as to
the several species Of commercial cotton
IT is necessary to grow the plant before the
identity OF the species can be determined
Ihese trials have not yet progressed far
enough to settle the question.
II the seeds found In the grave sites and
these modern ones prove to be identical
then either the Moqui claim relative to the
Mormon origin is wrong or else the an
tiqulty OF the pueblo as burial site is dis
proved.
Against these two contending views
comes the statement of the Zuni that they
have had cotton with them from. the begin
ming, that 1t is native with them.
For long time 1t was supposed that the
cotton used by these latter Indians was
some species of gossypium, like that found
In the other pueblos in our southern states
Not Real Cotton.
Not until this last summer did there exist
any known reason to suspect that the pre-
hist ORIG cotton was other than that species
or cotton now grown by the Moqui, or
some variety closely allied to 1t. Mrs. Ma
tilda Coke Stevenson, one of the scientific
corps OF the bureau Of ethnology, and the
only living authority Zuni culture. in
making a collection of the native plants
used by these people for medicinal, reltg-
ious, culinary and technical purposes
found plant which the Zuni priest who
brought it to her informed her was their
ancient native cotton.
The priest likewise claimed that this was
the cotton which had been used for making
their sacred ceremonial blankets and PRAYER
plumes.
An examination of the plant proved 1t to
be not species of cotton proper, that is
member of the Gossypium family, but a
variety of milk weed-the Asclepias Next
cana.
When the long, silky fibers have been sep
arated from the seed and beaten into sna De
by the native skill 1t Is practically impos-
sible to distinguish 1t from our modern cot
ton.
This plant is found in abundance during
the month Of August in their outlying
farming districts at Ojo Caliente and Pic
cado, New Mexico. 1t grows in certain iso-
lated spots; hence, 1t is usually overlooked
by the traveller.
Planting the Plumes.
This prehistoric cotton was brought to
Mrs. Stevenson's attention by Nai-u-chi,
who is one Of the rain priests. and also