Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-03-30
AC0MA OLDEST
AMERICAN TOWN
Discovered Long Before St. Au-
gustine Was Founded.
"CL|FF Built, CLOUD SWEPT

Wilt oVa6s OhOOV Ovv1I
Famous Indian Village Visited by D
Mia and Coronado About 153e-Lo
cation on Mesa Is Hard to Reach
Cathedral Still Standing, and An.
cient Sports Are 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
1889 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 chroni-
clers have designated it's population
at that period as high as 5000.
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." 1t is built
on q great oblong rocky pedestal ris-
ing nearly 400 feet above the plain.
The Indians built this pueblo evil
IDENTIFY 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 u up to the third ter
race dSdlu by ldQuerS.
1t is said that 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 30
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 Oh the east side of the
mesa. In this church a priest now
holds services occasionally. The church
is said to be several hundred years
old-built some time in the year 1900
and until in recent years the tribe bur-
led their dead under it's floor. Now
they use the court in front of the
church for that purpose.
The building is of Spanish mission
style, with two large towers facing the
front, each Of which contains a mas
siye 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
dams 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 festas and
tribal ceremonies take place. The
main dance, which takes place early
in September, is preceded by services
in the church. Afterward the wooden
image Of the sacred saint" borne by
four braves, is carried in front of the
line Of parade from the church to the
dancing ground, where it is carefully
put under guard until the dance is
over, which Is at shutdown. Two sets
of dancers grotesquely attired, male
and female, dance alternately all day,
at the same time singing an extending
thanks to the Good Being for their
crops and prosperity and asking that
the coming year be favored with plen-
ty Of rain and good crops.
During the day fruits, melons and
other edibles are distributed freely to
all who are present. Inside a tenn
porary Enclosure Of cornstalks and
green branches is placed the SACRED
saint" At the entrance to this hut
two Indians with loaded rifles stand
guard. During the parade from the
old church to the plaza where the
dance takes place there is a continu.
GUS firing Of guns and r%evolvers, said
to be for the purpose of frightening
away evil spirits.
One Of the events Of this day Of cere
monies is a queer race by two sets
of nne chosen from two factions
Of the tribe. The Acoma Indians, like
the Hopis, are known for their endur.
ance and feetness Of foot. These
races are usually from a distance OF
from ten to twenty-five miles, and
the time is to be wondered at when
| one remembers that each set of RIM.