The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-03-17

| F~~1esfai Nasa1s lastaas.
The ~present-day Indian. II not coz
sidered a to society. Is looke'
upon as a charge on the body polite
and we frequently hear that the onb
good Indian is the dead one. yet Their,
are exceptions.
The tribe OF Navajoes whose reser
walton In New Mexico and Arizona Dor.
ders on southeastern Utah aud south
western Colorado. numbers nearly A.
900 souls They are a pastoral PEG
pie herding sheep goats and horses
ever their great arid ranges and In a
sn&n way cuitvatins corn and other
grains Except when excited By nrs-
water. tho are ~peaeeahla and to a de-
gree Industrious. The women are not
able blanket weaver and the men are
klversmiths Of no mean ability.
or late years the Nayajoes have
been quite successfully employed as
section hands on western railroads. and
as fruit gathsrers In the orchards and
workers IN the sugar-bset fields thsy
have given great satisfaction.
Like all Indians. their besetting atm
Il monte" Give an Indian the price
Of his hire and he viii quit work until
IL Is gambled away. They are a polyg-
amous people hzTing no rsiisi5a. and :
Ike all a~borigines. are superstitioux .
believing In all kinds or signs and !
workings OF supernatural powers .
Although the Navajo reservation al .
Ioins the Mesa Verde National Park !
where % many CHI Dweller ruins are !
'ound. II Is with diniculty that a n 4 !
'ajo can be induced 70 act as a guits :
o the ruins. Whan one Is found viii !
az to show the way he cannot be In !
to remain In the Immediate vi !
Unity and when night comes on he I
loyes miles away. !
A curious tradition. and one account !,
y perhaps for their ~abhorrenes uf J.
Cir Dweller region. Is that agss :,
90 when the Clir Dweilers and their u
iemies were engaged in an extermi- =,
ltins warfare. the former were finally
into a mighty river aud. drown ~
9. the souls OF the Clir Dwellsrs Az
re transmitted into the bodies Of us
hes And from that time to this a an
tvato cannot BE- Induced to eat nsh 81,
Another legend. no less curious. 70
rs to the Ship Rock About IS miles Aab.
. west from Pennington. ". NJ. and Ito
thin the borders OF their reservation XIV
uated IN the midst OF the desert. IN,
a famous rock called ship Rock. ira
len looms TO the height OF 1000 feet ale
we the surrounding plain n rises ual
the center Of an Immense ana the
duaiiy sl0pinx mound. which gives rnp
! towering appearance and It's out oos
8 can b seen for many miles IN
lous directions.
ne rock derives It's name from ia
earance when zsen from a csrfsln n~,
ction. whence II resembles a full
ed ship stranded and petrinsd ms A
an legend Is that in the dim and IN
y past they had their habitatioa part
distant land beyond the great ssof
a and that the rock was situated nav
ieir ancient country. Onca upon the
the tribe being closely pressed BIZ IT
nemies and In danger Of total an sFSu
alton. the survivors climbed into An
cracks and ~crevices Of tbs great been
and implored u for protection Time
s~upplicatfons were heard and recsi
~ the rock began to moss. n serat
ID innumerable wastes. gradually IN
ed the ocean which Il crossed on u
rsed more wastes and deserts ana Tor q
y arrived at It's present resting sum
when the refugees sprnnx from younl
Thus the tribe remained ss'
the face OF the earth osaF
ranks OF the tribe are being do ma.
: and before a great many years pas.s
bod ship Rock win b obliged 10 ro1
: np the people and 70 another
'oyage in order that the tribe Of ?
aVaJo may be perpetuated among =
hes OF the earth. ~ Dsl