Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-24
III e a1Gh lie sons Drawn From Its
nm nm mity to Di ease
By FREDERICK /. MONSFN

camp-fo1lowers for such irregular pay as their
irregular services called for. Among them were a
young Navajo and his wife, horseback like our
selves. Early one afternoon they stopped behind
without any word to us, and we went forward at a
fair pace. Some three or four hours afterward
just as we had stopped to camp, they came gallon
ing up and reJoined us, but with new member of
the party, cunning little brown baby, hanging
over the wife's arm.
CONSERVATION is the only word that describes
Our feelings Accustomed to the civilized idea of
the pains and dangers of child birth we were much
more concerned over the case than either the
mother or the father. Shirts were sacrificed for
baby clothing, and twelve dollars was Immediately
collected as fund for the knife fork and spoon
which we remembered as customary on such occa-
SONS The mother rather tall and rather
languid but would have gone steadily about her
work without our protest. She had given birth to
child, mounted her horse and raced after us with
out thinking it anything unusual or worthy of
comment. We made her as comfortable as we
could; but the next morning she was up and
about, and the second morning as strong and well
TO all appearances, as Of course Indian
women have not the high nervous and highly
developed mental organization of highly civilized
Caucasian women. At the same time simple life.
pure air and constant exercise played a part in the
matter which woman, with all her manv burdens
can scarcely afford to neglect
The men treat their wives with the greatest con-
SHERATON The majority of the young men begin
a
as helpmeet and co-laborer; but a handsome
young girl is an, expensive luxury, her father de-
handing perhaps forty horses. An elder and less
attractive sister may be obtained say for six horses
and she is usually the selected by the bridegroom
OF twenty. Property is hereditary among the women
and even an elder sister is certain to bring him
dowry of a certain number of sheep; and thus the
new menage starts with new hogan, a few sheep
and horses and small section of farming-land on
which both labor.
BY the time the man is thirty he is in position
TO take second wife, and he now chooses youth
and beauty, wife No. making no objection but
on the contrary rather welcoming a new member
OF the family who will share her conversation and
her labors. Two wives the rule and a greater
number is rare, though old and well-todo
NavaJos have three or four. The wife is an active
partner In all property and an important bread
winner with her blanket and rug -making No sale
is made without consulting her. and she is always
treated with Difference.
1t is impossible to live among and study the
NavaJos without feeling for them great deal of
sympathy. AS a nation making mistake
which one day will be the subject of much criticism
and the cause of much regret among us as people,
The NavaJos live clearly and decent1y and have
forgotten all their warlke habits of twenty wears
ago under the influence of civilization But thew
are compelled to sell their blankets and silver art
work for less than half their value and to paw from
twenty to fifty per cent more for necessities than
the white man standing by their side at the same
counter They know this and are justly indignant
that there should be one price for the white man
and another for themselves
They nomadic, but only
from necessity. Give them irri-
cation Ia promise made years
ago by the Government, but never
~ fulfled) and it will establish them