The Daily Missoulian., 1912-11-10
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the Spaniards carried the citadel by
assault. Afterwards the strangers
We're driven from the land, but COM
ing later were treated in a friendly
manner, cordial and sympathetic which
in a measure has LASTED until this day.
In this strange village, high up to-
ward heaven, is a graveyard that took
generations to build for the dirt was
carried on the backs of Indians from
the plains below There is also
church, one of the wonders of the
southwest, a. strange adobe structure
with walls SO feet high and 10 feet
thick. In this old partially decaying
building there are held strange rell-
gious ceremonies, combination of
Catholic and Indian rites, for the
priests of early times recognized that
it was unWise to deprive these Indians
of all their customs and religious rites.
There are still signs OF the barbaric
splendor with which this ancient
church was decorated and in it's lofty
tower are bells that came from Spain.
The reservoir on the top of the hill is
another interesting sight and it is of
| the utmost Importance to the Indians
who depend on it for water when they
are cut off from the plains below. OF
course, as Aeoma is built on rock it
is necessary that agriculture be carried
on in the fields below.
+, One passes the Mesa Encantada or
Enchanted Mesa on the way to the
City of the Sky" This is high ele-
walton, at least $50 feet above the. val
ley. According to an ancient legend
the City of Acoma once stood on this,
but a cliff fell and separated the few
who We're at home from those who
were working in the field and the sur
vivors unable to return home built the
present pueblo of Acoma. This theory
has been partially verified by ethnolo-
| gists who have visited the place and
found relics of pottery and household
utensils. Whether or not there has been
two pueblos of Acoma, it is safe to
/ say the home life in both has been con-
Quoted in the same manner. The
homes are of terraced form three sto-
| hies high and between them are long,
| narrow streets of rock. One of these
widens into a plaza in the center of
/ the village and here all dances and
public meetings are held Curious
cone-shaped ovens, a survival of Span
ish times, are situated at intervals. It
seems somewhat odd to climb a lad
der to the second story in order to
! enter an Acoma house, but once there
the rooms on the second terrace are
easily reached and another ladder
leads to the third story.
j Some one has said that if all the
rest of the world We're blotted out
these Indians would stil go on their
way peaceful and undisturbed. They
take much pleasure in their daily
games and modest labors. They know
each other by their Indian names,
but to am outsider they will often give
a Spanish name or sort OF composite
English and Spanish cognomen. This
name is always dignified and fire.
quently complimentary. Occasionally
in the homes one can see evidences OF
American civilization, some patent to
make work easier, tin dishpan on
the wall decorated with crude paint
ings, but as a rule the chief ornament
is the metate or grinding stones be
tween which the women grind their
corn. Often two or three are set in
the floor of house, with pottery re-
ceptacles nearby in which the ground
corn is placed. These metates are
made in two parts. One is slab OF
stone placed at an angle. The Other
part takes the place of the white