Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-11-18
EXPLORER RELATES
MYTHS IN LAND
Of PUEBL0S
Dr. Herbert j, Spinden Re-
turns 10 New York After
-Four Months Sojoun With
Southwest Indian Tribe,
ssse'At eos.ssronosnes 70 aosnSa ,eus,.u

tsereiAt eosRssrosesHos 70 noHsiNa ieussAu
New York, Nov. l1.--After spend
ing four months among the Tewa In
dians, a branch OF the pueblo Indians
of the great southwest. DR. Herbert j..
spinden. author and explorer, has re-
turned TO the American Museum Of
Natural History with much new in
formation about Indian life, The ex-
plorer has conducted four expeditions
through the lands OF the Pueblos and
has made an extensive study o. their
industrial life their mythology, eere-
monials. dances and songs.
year ago he secured number Of
phonographic records of the songs Of
the red men, During the past sum
mer he devoted his time chiefly TO a
study of the mythology and cefemo-
mails Of the Indians OF the Pueblo
country and gathered much valuable
data relating 70 the myths and dances
Of the Tewas.
Although he was particularly in
terested In the TeWa Indians. he found
opportunity to witness a snake dance
at Walpi Ariz.. where he obtained q
fantastic snake dance Costume for the
museum. ornamented with snakes and
rainbows.
He found the Tewas rich In myth
ology. This proved valuable to the
student OF Indian lore, as the myths
gave many side lights on the religion
of the Tewas. and often showed the
beginning Of their rituals
or great interest to the explorer In
the pueblo region Of the southwest
was the dance of the masked gods.
which includes eeremonials relating
TO the rains and crops, and which Ia
participated In by the delight makers
or Indian testers
In the Pueblo region are a number
of sacred lakes Sometimes these
lakes consist only OF green spot on
the mountains. The Indians visit
these lakes for medicine waters"
According to the Indian supersti-
tion when dance is about to be per-
formed the delight makers call the
gods from the various lakes Of Pueblo
land. They blow ashes from their
hands and pretend to see the gods Of
the lakes approaching on the edge Of
n cloud The delight makers are
painted with bands of black and
white.
The young members Of the Tewa
tribe are allowed to hear the perform
ihAAN 'f NhA uAf iAbA .ffA iAAAAAhh W HAf ~ ]
They are led to believe that the !
masked gods are real gods. During /
the performance Of the dancers the I
gods sing songs. their faces being CON |
aealed behind masks.
Some of the Indians carry whizzing /
sticks which make a sound resemb- |
linz the wind and the rain. The or /
on their bodies and the de- /
signs painted on their costumes also /
represent the rain, fruit and various I
flowers. In fact. whatever may be 1
desired
So far as known the masked dane
srs Of the lake people in New Mexico
nave not been seen by white men.
According to the belief Of the In
Hans, said DR.. Spinden. 'all of their
people at one time inhabited the under |.
world. Those remaining in the under
world are gods or lake people. These /,
rewa Indians also worship the sun
md horned serpent. who is supposed
O preside over the water. and for
ome reason, they stand in awe Of
he moon.
Among the diyities are the salt
i'd woman, the turquoise old man.
he spider old woman and others.
These Indians believe I'm witch
raft to a certain extent. The witches
re carriers Of witch medicine. -
DR.. Spinden found among the
'ewas many interesting specimens Of
pottery.
Among the dances witnessed by
he explorer were the deer dance, the
'uffalo dance, the eagle dance and
he tahlita performed nv On Indian Z
woman, who carried a painted band
m her head representing cloud.
The Tewas have a tendency toward
agriculture and some Of their villages
late back TO the period before the oc- {
upation of the region by the Span q
ards. They live in houses Of adobe s