New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-06-14
AC0mA OLDEST
AMERICAN TOWN
Discovered Long Before 81. A.
I gustine Was Founded.
cliff BUILT, CLOUD SWEPT

Famous Indian Village Visited by pl
Mia and Coronado About 1sao-Le.
cation On Mess 10 Hard 20 Roach.
Cathedral Still Standing, and An.
eisnt Sports Ar Held Annually.
Acoma, an Indian village in New
Mexico, has the distinction Of being
the Oldest inhabited settlement In the
United States. st. Augustine, the
first permanent European settlement
planted within the limits of the Unit
ed States, was founded in 1865.
Acoma was mentioned as early as
$3.50 by Fra Marco di Mia and was
visited by members Of Coronado's ar
my in the following year. twenty five
years before st. Augustine's period of
foundation. Early Spanish chron1-
clers have designated its population
at that period as high as G,OOO.
Every traveller of greater or less de-
gree traversing the southwest has
heard Of this "the most wonderful
aboriginal city on earth, cliff built,
cloud swept, matchless." It is built
on a great oblong rocky pedestal ris-
7 Ing nearly 400 feet above the plain.
The Indians built this pueblo evil
IDENTITY with the intention of resisting
the attacks Of the Navajos and
Apaches, who for many years made
war upon this peaceful people. In
1910 Coronado and his band Of con-
quistadors found this little village so
impregnable that it was only after a
long siege that he was able to accom-
plish its capture.
Town In Terraces.
The village proper consists Of three
parallel rows Of adobe houses, three
stories, terraced in form and about for
ty feet high, nearly a hundred in all.
In these dwellings lives a population
Of about 600 people. Entrance to the
houses is made by ladders over the
roof, passing through passageways to
the lower floor or into the second ter
race by doors or up to the third ter
race again by ladders.
It is said hat the senior members Of
the family live in the first story; the
daughter first married gets the second
terrace and the second the third ter
race. All other members have to go
elsewhere or live with the old people.
The most conspicuous and interest
ing building in the pueblo is the an
Client adobe cathedral, which stands
near the edge on the east side Of the
mesa. In this church priest now
holds services occasionally. The church
IS said to be several hundred years
old-built some time i9 tbe year 1000
and Until IN recent years the tribe bur
I'D their dead under its floor. Now
they 0se The court II front of the
church for that purpose. -'ssa-zt5S.~-
The building i Of Spanish mission
style, with two large towers facing the
front, each of which contains a mas
sive Spanish bell. These bells upon
close inspection proved to be retained
in place by numerous buckskin thongs.
In this church hang many paintings, |
one of which has caused bloodshed and |
strife. Its possession is believed by
the Indians to insure good fortune and
plentiful crops, so it is naturally covet-
ed by other tribes. Several times it
has been captured by the Laguna In
dians and was recovered by the AGO.
mas only after a bitter struggle
Saints Image Guards Sports.
The two streets Of rock meet in a
sort Of court, where all fiestas and
tribal ceremonies take place. The
main dance, which takes place early
in September, is preceded by services
IN the church. Afterward the wooden
mage Of the sacred saint" borne by
,our braves, is carried in front of the
inc Of parade from the church to the
lancing ground, where 1t Is carefully
)ut under guard until the dance is
'ver, which Is at shutdown. Two sets I
# dancers grotesquely attired, male I
md female, dance alternately oil day, ,
It the same time singing an extending
hanks to the Good Being for their
rops and prosperity and asking that I
he coming year be favored with plen-
= Of rain and good crops.
During the day fruits, melons and
Their edibles are distributed freely to
IL who are present. Inside a tenn
Orary Enclosure Of cornstalks and I
reen branches is placed the SACRED q
lint." At the entrance to this hut e
70 Indians with loaded rifles stand v
lard. During the parade from the Il
d church to the plaza where the y
lnce takes place there is a continu- r
IS firing of guns and revolvers, said t
be for the purpose of frightening t
way evil spirits.
One Of the events Of this day Of cere- 6
onies is queer race by two sets n
runners chosen from two factions n
the tribe. The Acoma Indians, like Il
e Hops, are known for their endur- IL
ice and leetness Of foot These 81
ces are usually from a distance Of ri
ON ten to twenty-five miles, and "
e time is to be wondered at when y
e remembers that each set Of run 8,
rs have to keen ahead of them Il