Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-03-15

quent occurrence. seem to hold these
views.
Among the few public religious OBJ
servances of these people. the formal Of
ferng OF petitions for divine tavOrs
seems confined to the Office of but few
individuals, and Is conveyed by an ex-
pressive attitude rather than by verbal
or mental supplication, Standing erect
on his house top. with bowed head. the
Shuman. or leading man. remains for
some time engaged in prayer. saying
nothing andibly. thinking nothing. pos
sibly. only praying" he explains. IL
you care to inquire. Ii his prayer as
sumes any dehniteness OF desire. II IL
thought by his white friends who know
himtbest. that it eenters=Rh0uthls earth
ly wants. aud takes the form OF petit
ten for abundant rainfalrthst the aocks
may 6nd water TO drlnk. and tbs arid
-nelds OF bis people be made more fruit.
fnl.
The Navajo, whose great reservation
adjoins the MoQuis. has few Il any forms
Of ceremonial worship. Ile holds the
idea. apparently. that q second life
awaits the dead. and that the good and
bad tendencies or practices OF poor
humanity have no bearing whatever
Upon the question OF participation in the
desirable conditions that will obtain In
the life to come Only the warrors. how
ever. he believes. will go to the happy
hunting grounds. where many of the
sensual desires known in the simple life
of the Navajos, may be Sratified, The
women of this life. he conceives. are un-
fortunately excluded from this future
existence and after death pass into the
lakes and streams and are converted
into fish
In view Of this distressing transmlgra-
ton. the Navajo warrior never attempts
to catch fish, or to use them for food lest
unhappily he might impose pain or in
jury upon those who were once dear TO
him in this life
The public religious ceremonies Of the
Navajos, If the 'pow-wows" of their
medicine men may be so designated
consist largely in noisy demonstrations
made to brighten away evil spirits
that have attacked some poor I'M
fortunate Navajo with disease. Prob
ably the most malignant attack
of these vicious spirits ever known TO
the Navaios occurred some time
since when Mariana, popular sub chief
of the nation. was stricken down with
disease. The chief was an ambitious
man and hoping to better his condition
in life and add to his personal comfort
and that of his family. built a house
near Fort Wingate. fashioning it after
the plan of the log dwellings erected by
the white settlers in the Puerco valley
adjoining the Indian reservation. But
the poor Indian had no knowledge Of
the danger of drafts from open doors
and windows, and cracks in the roof and
walls, and contracting a violent cold fell
quite i'll soon after occupying his new
home. Yielding to the advice Of his
friends he quickly abandoned the build
ing and went to live in native hut OF
sticks and mud The change, however,
failed to effect condition for the
better, and the sick man begin
ming to fear for his life sent for
the medicine men Of the tribe. They
came hastily to see him. and for several
days and nights thereafter sat at his
head and feet as he lay on his bed on the
ground. pounding necessarily upon
doleful drums OF native manufacture,
the meanwhile accompanying the dts
NAL music OF the instruments with
mOnotonous chants in cultural voices.
The sick man, unable to rise from his
bed, found little sleep for three days and
three nights while the "pow-wow" last
ed, and finally closed his eyes in the
sleep that knows no waking. victim,
the medicine men claimed, OF the un-
worthy attempt OF a Navajo to live Al
white men live. and to delay in calling
Upon them for their professional serv-
Ices after the evil spirits had come.
II BRINKHRH0FT.
Col Y. 3. A, Retired