Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-12-30

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
period of preparation, struggle for position of
advantage from which the ignorance and super
stition of a barbarous people might be attacked
and the influences which have fettered them
might be obliterated, that freed from its bond
age, the Navajo might take its 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
apparent to the observer who visits Shiprock, be-
comes acquainted with the superintendent and
his assistants and realizes what they are achev-
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 over a reservation in New
Mexico Arizona and Utah, which contains
larger area than all the New England states and
includes thousands of acres of fine agricultural,
mineral and timber lands, and is almost com
pletey underlaid with coal The increase of
their prOductiVeness 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 bring carried at
the people who are interested in the development
of that section.
The holding of a fair this fall not decid-
ed upon until about weeks before it was held,
and when the decision reached it so late
in the season that it necessary to arrange
for it at once, thus less than two weeks notice
was given the Nayajos by means of Indian police
and messengers-barely time to gather up what
they had on hand and bring it in without any
preparation opportunity to gather or make
anything especially for exhibition
Under these circumstances the amount and
quality of the exhibits displayed no less than
remarkable The extent to which they responded
to the call to bring in their products was a
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 so articles each. Agricul-
tural products formed the chief part OF the exhi-
bition but by no means all, as the famous Navajo
blanket was there in many styles and sizes, beau
tiful silver iewelry of various and unique designs,
old blankets of great value, few buffalo robes,
valuable pieces of bead work and dozens of other
nroducts and curios ancient and modern Be
sides these general exhibits there the live
stock show in which horses, mich COWS. sheep
and goats were numerous
The sports consisted of foot races (the longest
and four fnished), horse races, games and amuse-
,nants Each evening the Navajos provided
their own amusement by participating in several
of their ancient sacred Dances which were both
: int aresting and entertaining to the visitors.
AS an example of how a list Of prize winners
Of an Indian fair would read, the following
tracts given:
General exhibit of farm and garden products
17irct nrize double harness, Barber-bit-cilly (the
latter is the winners name); second disk har
row Happy Jack; third, cultivator. Be-kin-e-be
CAV: fourth shovel, Dobe-bitsee.
Native blanket, all wool-First, cook stove
Kin.le-che-ne; second, 100 pounds flour, Lenna
oliver: third so pounds flour, Disadvantage;
fourth. IS pounds flour. Pe-e-cane-es-kln-e.
C}eanest Navajo baby-First, SO pounds -four
Ienna oliver; second % pounds flour. Hoston-at
sO-se.
The Navajo blanket collection like all other
exhihits was a fine one. 1t contained few OF
t,a old.time bayetas for which the Navajos first
becanne famous These originally made
from the yarn obtained by unraveng wooden