The sun., 1909-05-02
LAND OF V0MAN'S RIGHTS
PAINTED DESERT THE HOME
OF SUFFRAGIST IDEALS.

Centuries Ago tho Hopi Women Went on
Strike and Won the Privilege Of
Choosing Their Husbands, Ruling the
Tribe and Doing ~ They Pleased.
FLAGSTAFF. Ariz.. April 25.-Down
here In the Great Painted Desert man
beleaguered by the suffragist hosts
may find fully illustrated the fate that
will be his when the woman's rights
movement reaches its fullest frlition.
Long before the beskirted women Of the
East even thought about demanding
the ballot their blanketed sisters in the
Hopi Indian nation had fought out the
matter and won.
The Hopis are better known to fame
as the Mokis or Moquis. but the latter
appellation was bestowed upon them in
derision by their warlike Navajo and
Apache enemies. Hopi means people OF
peace Moqui means dead men,
Hopi women do not vote. but It is only
because they do not want to. They do
about everything else that is masculine
and do 1t because they like 1t.
Hopi houses are built by the women.
These houses are theirs and their chill
dren take the mothers name. not the
father When a Hopi maiden makes
up her mind to marry she does not trouble
herself about asking the consent OF the
man upon whom her eye has alighted
with favor She asks his mother.
The husband does not prepare a home
for his bride. She takes him into hers
The produce which he raises is hers
whenever II is stored in her house.
and no Hopi man ever has property in
his own name.
Hopi houses are Of an architecture
purely Hopi. Always they are built
high on some isolated mesa. They are
often two but never more than three
stories in height. The second story is
built several feet back OF the first story
90 that the roof OF the latter Is a terrace
for the second. and the third reoedes
still further
The women are expert adobe mixers
and molders. The rocks and the timbers
are carted from the tree clumps down on
the desert on the backs Of burros. This
work is done by the men. After the men
have delivered the material the women
60 to work.
Without any Of the tools Of the mason
they lay the stones with precision. The
division OF labor is complete. Some carry
the rocks and the sand, some mix the
adobe. some do the laying and the finish
ing. Building a house is great fun. and
the neighboring women are always glad
to help the new home builder. The hand
IL used as q trowel, and with 1t the adobe
il plastered on and the walls smoothed.
The roof is a mass Of willow and earth
supported by crossbeams and poles, The
floor is Of hard packed dirt and the in
terioI decorations consist of gypsum
whitewashing and symbolic paintings.
Sheets of gypsum formerly served for
windows, but nowadays doors and win
dows from some far of planning mill are
In almost every home.
Tradition has it that the ascendency OF
the Hopi woman was secured centuries
ego as the result Of strike. The ancient
Hopi used bis women as beasts Of burden.
following the usual Indian custom.
They rebelled and gathered by them
selves on an unoccupied mesa. There
| they held out. resisting all Establishments
and entreaties and threats. and only con-
sented to return when assured that they
should be complete bosses in the house
and the village.
Generations Of rulership have stamped
the Hopi women as the superior sex
They are beautiful as maidens, good
looking as women and often retain their
rounded faces and fine hair until old age
comes on.
Compared to them the men are stunted,
The women are OF more than average good
| figure, muscular and healthy looking.
The men grow wizened early and go
about their tasks as though they didn I
get much out Of life. OF smaller stature,
they are often very hardy and as messen-
gers are capable Of going tremendous
distances without apparent fatigue.