The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-11-20
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
OF THE NAVAJOS.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.


luxury OF several wives.
When a young wife has grown old
and ugly the husband often discards
her. taking unto himself a younger
and prettier one. Thus he takes his
wives tandem instead of abreast, as
the Mormons did.
The Navajo secures his wife by
purchase, and the Navajo maiden
never lacks offers OF marriage. She
is not at liberty to choose for herself,
but is sort OF standing invitation
which her mother holds out for in
formal proposals.
The Navajo mother-in-law is the
greatest on earth, for the daughter
belongs to her mother until married
when the bridegroom also becomes
the property OF his motter-in-law.
with whom he is required TO live. As
he Is also required never TO look her
in the face. existence becomes a COM
plicated problem.
The young girl seldom gets a young
husband, and the young man seldom
gets young wife. Property among
the Nayajos is mostly possessed by
the old men. so they are. as a rule
able to offer a larger price for the girl
than is the young man who has not
yet had time to accumulate his for
tune. 1t requires several ponies and
a good flock of sheep to buy a young
and burom Navajo maiden.
az recently witnessed an old squaw
leading young girl. about ten years
old. in the school grounds at the Ma
vajo agency" says writer in the In
dian School Journal. LAS she APP
preached the agents Office she fell
upon her face by the sidewalk and
Immediately set up loud, mournful
wailing.
Some OF her people must be dead"
l said to the agent
No he replied. 4 know the old
lady well. You see that little girl
sitting there on the sidewalk beside
her: Well, that is a girl about ten
years old. A short time ago her
mother sold her to an old man for his
wife.
blind. The matter was reported to
me. and I ordered her to bring the
girl TO the agency and put her in
school, and that is what she is here
for. but she does not want to give
the girl up and that is why she is
wailing.
She hopes to get nv sympathy.
but will not stand for it. The girl
must go to school, where she be-
longs
80 saying. he called policeman
and ordered the girl taken to school
and turned over to the matron."
The Navajo wedding ceremony is
thus described by A. NJ stephen:
"On the night set for the wedding
both families and their friends meet
at the hut Of the brides family. Here
there is much frasting and singing
and the brides family makes return
presents to the bridegroom people.
but not, c. course, 10 the same
amount.
THE women Of the brides family
prepare cornmeal porridge. which is
poured into the wedding basket. The
brides uncle then sDriukles a circu-
lar ring and cross of the sacred blue
pollen of the larkspur upon the por-
ridge, near the outer edge and in the
centre.
THE bride has hitherto been lying
beside her mother. concealed under a
blanket on the woman's side Of the
hogan (hut). After calling to her TO
come to him her uncle seats her on
the west side OF the tut. and the
bridegroom sits down before her,
with his face toward hers and the
basket of porridge set between them.
"A gourd OF water is then given
TO the bride, who pours some of IT on
the bridegroom's hands while he
washes them. and then he performs
a like Office for her. with the first
two fingers of the right hand he then
takes pinch OF porridge. just whore
the line Of pollen touches the circle
OF the east side. He eats this one
pinch, and the bride dips with her
finger from the same place.
He then takes in succession a
pinch from the other places where
the lines touch the circle and a final
pinch from the centre. the brides
fingers following his. The basket OF
porridge is then passed over TO the
younger guests. who speedily devour
it with merry clamor. a custom anal
ogous TO dividing the brides cake az
wedding The elder relatives OF
the couple now give them much good
and weighty advice and the marriage
Is complete A"
The Navajos do not bury their
dead. At least they DO not inter
them. The Navajo's superstition pre-
vents him from even go much as
touching a dead body.
So before life has entirely left the
body it is wrapped in a new blanket
and carried 20 some convenient se-
cluded spot. where Il IS deposited on
top OF the ground. together with all
the personal effects Of the deceased