The Montgomery tribune., 1909-12-31

the progress of the southwest was the
first Navajo fair, which was held at Shiprock
Agency, New Mexico, recently.
At Shiprock the past six years has been a
period of preparation, struggle for position of
advantage from which the ignorance and super
stition of barbarous people might be attacked
and the influences which have fettered them
might be obliterated that, freed from it's bond
age, the Navajo race might take it's place among
the useful and beneficial elements of the nation,
contributing its share toward the industry and
enjoying its proportion of the advantages en-
braced in the common stock.
How successful this preparation for and be-
ginning OF their civilization has been is soon
apparent to the observer who visits Shiprock be-
comes acquainted with the superintendent and
his assistants and realizes what they are achiev-
ing.
How important the civilization of the Navajo
is to that section of the country is also apparent
when it is considered that there are some 10000
of them scattered a reservation in New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah, which contains a
aarger area than all the New England states and
includes thousands of acres of fine agricultural
mineral and timber lands and is almost COM
pletely underaid with coal. The increase of
their proouctiveness means an increase in the out
put of the southwest. Their education and per.
manent settlement upon small homesteads will
leave large surplus of land to be sold to white
settlers. Thus the work being carried on at
Shiprock has many points which commend it to
the people who are interested in the development
of that section.
The holding of fair this fall was not decid
~ed upon until about two weeks before it was held
and when the decision was reached 1t was so late
in the season that it was necessary to arrange
for it at once, thus less than two weeks notice
was given the Navajos by means of Indian police
and messengers-barely time to gather up what
they had on hand and bring it in without any
preparation or opportunity to gather or make
anything especially for exhibition.
Under these circumstances the amount and
quality of the exhibits displayed was no less than
remarkable. The extent to which they responded
to the call to bring In their products was sur
prise to Major Shelton, the Indian agent for this
reservation. himself. He knew that they could
and would make very creditable showing
Two hundred and ninety general exhibits
were received and displayed while several others
arrived too late to be accepted. These exhibits
contained from five to 60 articles each. Agricul-
tural products formed the chief part of the exhi-
bition, but by no means all, the famous Navajo
blanket was there in many styles and sizes, beau
tiful silver ewelry of various and unique designs
old blankets of great value, few buffalo robes
valuable pieces of bead work and dozens of other
products and curios, ancient and modern. Be-
sides these general exhibits there was the live
stock show, in which horses. milch cows sheep
and goats were numerous.
The sports consisted of foot races (the longest
one five and oEe-haf miles, in which IL entered
and four fnished), horse races, games and amuse-
ments Each evening the Navajos provided
their own amusement by participating in several
of their ancient sacred Dances which both
interesting and entertaining to the visitors
AS an example of how list of prize winners
at an Indian fair would read the following ex
tracts are given:
General exhibit Of farm and garden products
First prize, double harness. Barber-bit-cilly the
latter is the winners name); second, disk har-
row. Happy Jack; third. cultivator, Be-kin-e-be
gay; fourth, shovel. Do-be-bit-see
Native blanket, all wool-Frst, cook stove
KinIe-che-ne second, 100 pounds -four Lenna
Oliver; third, so pounds flour, Beka-da-na-be-ga;
fourth, 25 pounds flour, Pel-e-can-e-es-kin-e
Ceanest Navajo baby---First so pounds flour.
Lenna Oliver; second. 25 pounds -four, Hoston-at-
sose
The Navajo blanket collection like all other
exhibits. was fine one. 1t contained few OF
the old-time bayetas, for which the Navajos first
became famous. These were originally made
from the yarn obtained by unraveine woolen