The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-09-09
INDIANA Man LIVES
WITH PIMA INDIANS
DR.. Nelson D. Brayton Says
These Indians Are True
Children of Southwest.
AGENCY At PHOENIX, ARIZ.
ARE MODEL INDIANS. iN0UsrRi.
Gus, PRIMITIVE AND PEAcEA.
eLe-HAo svsTEM OF IRRloA.
TON 3co YEARS AGO.

indianapolis. Sept. 9.-Dr, Nelson d.
Brayton OF this city. Is here on vaca.
ton from his duties as physician at
the Pima Indian agency near Phoenix,
Arts.
Tho Pimas," said the doctor, who
10 evidently In accord with the red
men with whom he has been associat-
ed for about year. ARE the true chill
dren OF the desert, while the other
tribes In Arizona-the Apaches and
the vajos-have been driven into
their present haunts by the advance
OF civilization. Including the Yuma
tribes. there are about eight thousand
OF these peaceful. agricultural Indians
in the valleys Of the Salt and ella
rivers. which they and their ancestors
inhabited centuries before the advent
OF the white men. This racial type
suggests m origin like to that of the
Japanese. Perhaps they came over
from Asia. crossing the eBring strait
10 Aalaska and then moving south.
these Indians remaining as a remnant
OF the great body that continued south
TO Mexico.
I'm prehistoric times, II Is said.
these Arizona Indians dwelt In pueb-
los-villages made Of cement and
adobe. Their home were often three
stories high. and remains of these an
cient villages are scattered all through
the Salt river valley. The ruins of
this ancient architecture shows a
knowledge Of reinforcing concrete.
The floors and ceilings Of the houses
were made Of native material called
caliche. kind Of gypsum. reinforced
by pine timbers brought from the
mountain ranges. the nearest Of which
ass at least one hundred miles away.
Ancient Canal stu In Use.
"sVa,Sr was taken by these old set.
tiers FROM .hc rivers by means of large
canals anu distributed by an extensive
system Of bitches. One OF these old
canals 10 In use today by the United
States governments in the irrigation of
the Pima reservation. This canal IL
fifteen feet deep. thirty feet wide and
ten miles long. In the irrigation plan
Of the government at tho present time
for these Indians recourse has been
had to an extension Of the old prehis-
toric bitches.
1.-The Pimas have always been agri-
culturists who have tried to live at
peace with their neighbors. Origin
ally they lived on mesquite beans.
corn and melons, but at the advent Of
tho whites they began the cultivation
Of wheat and now grow about two mil.
lion bushels OF wheat year. much Of
which they sell at Phoenix. They EN-.
ploy primitive methods Of cutting and
thrashing their grain. men and women
using sickles in cutting II. and they
thrash II out by means Of the hoofs of
horses and cattle. II Is cleaned and
rendered At for use by throwing 1t
into the air from willow baskets,
which the women are proficient In
making. They grind their corn and
wheat In metates. that IL between
grinding stones. Their corn 10 usual.
~ made into porridge.
"The Pimas are model Indians. They
are peaceful and have assisted the Un.
tied States government in its warfare
against the Apaches. The Apaches
are warlike. given to gambling and
have fondness for bright colors in
their attire, The Pimas, on the other
hand, tend to very sohber colors
There are about ten thousand Navajos
In Arizona. They are In the north
east part Of the territory. east Of the
region of the Grand Canyon and the
Painted Desert. They are peaceful
and industrious. but are great gam.
blers. They make the famous Navajo
blankets and one nation OF the Nava.
Jos. the Hopi. makes the finest brand
OF Indian pottery on this continent"