Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-11-13
TESUQUES GIVE THANKS
Indians Hold Annual "Deer Dance
at Their Pueblo-CroWds See
Festivities.

The annual thanksgiving feast of
the Tesuque Indians was held yester-
day at their Pueblo, nine miles north
OF Santa Fe. In conjunction with the
feast the Tesuque Indians this year
held as an added feature, a regular
Indian deer dance.
On November 18th the Tesuques
hold their annual feast, which to them
is equivalent to day of thanksgiv.
ing, as we'll as day when they pray
to their Great Spirit" for a boun
tious crop for the ensuing year.
The festivities began promptly al
10 o'clock yesterday morning. The
ceremonies opened with prayers te
the Great Spirit" at the church. After
this the dancers congregated in one
of the houses and coming out one by
one, assumed their places in the line.
With low, weird chant the dane.
ers moved their bodies, swaying them
from side to side in time with the
chant. Soon their feet began to move
in short, sidewise steps, then as the
chant increased In time, the move.
ments of their feet and body became
faster until they were going round
and round, at a whirlwind speed. All
the time the chant was kept up, grow.
ing loud at times, then sinking into
mere whisper.
The circle of dancers, when first
formed, started the movement in
direction opposite to the sun. This
was kept up until one by one the
dancers dropped out of the circle from
exhaustion. The dance with the In
dians is not form of pleasure, as
much as it is a matter of duty. AS
fast as the dancers fell out, they pro.
ceeded to where the feast was pre-
pared for them. The rest Of the day
was then given over to the enjoyment
of the feast. During the time that
the dance was in progress the dancers
were praying to the Great Spirit"
with all the fervor Of their natures.
asking that they might be plentifully
supplied with deer meat for the en-.
suing year, that they might be given
large crops and plenty Of rain, and Civ
ing thanks for the crops, the rain and
the game granted them during the
season just passed.
A large number Of visitors to San
ia Fe, together with number Of the
residents, left this city early yester-
day morning for the scene of the fes-
tivities, going in buggies, on horse
back and by any other means that
were available, as most Of the livery
rigs of the city had been engaged in
advance for the occasion. J. S. Can.
delario, conducted party of about
twenty, composed mostly OF tourists
to Santa Fe. There were about 81
others present.
The dancers were we'll drilled and
the dance was we'll executed. Ample
arrangements had been made for the
feast, and altogether it proved a great
success, as there were large nura-
ber of Indians from other tribes
present. One feature of the occasion
that was commented upon by the Wis
itors. and one that did not reflect any
special credit to those responsible Tor
it. was the fact there was a large
amount of fire water" on hand, Whlch
had the effect of making some parts
of the ceremonies not as pleasant as
it might have otherwise been.
A noticeable fact in this connection
was that the Tesuque Indians did no.
indulge in the "f1re water" as much
as did some of the visiting red men,