The Holbrook news., 1916-11-03
INDIAN
 EXHIBITS
By J. B. BROWN, supt.

w have very encouraging reports from all the agencies which sent ex- hibitS last year and in addition expect to have exhibits from the White River agency and from San Carlos. These have not been represented heretofore so far as I am informed.
 We, as you know, expect to have the Indian School band at the Fair each day in addition to our usual dress parade on Indian Day expect to give a fancy drill by approximately one hundred girls either with dumb bells or Indian clubs. The purpose of this department, as I view it and am ,endeavoring to conduct it, is to make the white citizens of the state and na- tion to know our Indians better and to know the better features of their present day life and industries. We do not conduct wild west shows but we do wish to make our business men acquainted with the industries of our Indian peoples in order that they may look upon the Indian as an asset rather than as a liability. Arizona is fortunate that our Indians have al ways been self-supporting. My ex perience covering some 22 years in the Indian School work has been with considerable number of tribes in diff ferent sections of the United States and I have nowhere seen Indians equalling these living in Arizona in the matter of industry and general desirability as future citizens.
 We shall hope to show from the northern reservations, particularly the Navajo, samples of blanket weaving. silversmithing and other native indus tries, also fine exhibit of vegetables and crops from the higher attitudes. From the Cataract Canyon the Supai Indians will again send samples of their native food products such as it is possible to transport from their trail to the railroad It should be re membered that all supplies for the Supai agency have to be transported gy wagon approximately 50 miles from Seligman or Grand Canyon to the rim of Cataract Canyon, from which point they must be carried on pack animals about seven miles to the location of the small agency down on the river bank Many interesting stories might be told of the difficult ties encountered in conducting an In dian Agency and day school at this place. For example, small cottage organ, the only instrument of this kind in this canyon, was carried from
  by four Indian women on foot Wagons have been taken down in pieces and all lumber for the agency buildings ILade the same tortuous passage over the difficult trail.
 We hope to have samples of Navajo and Hopi corn brought from Ft. De fiance and Keams Canyon. These ex- hibits must be carried from 30 to over 100 miles before reaching the rail road The Hopi are the original dry farmers and while their crop yield is small compared with their crop acre age, they have perhaps done better than any white men under similar 
 On IndlaL Day we shall have many Indian visitors who come primarily to see the fair rather than to be the show. They will, I assume, have the usual fredcm of the race track and enclosure and should be interesting to visitors because they will appear as they are actually living and dress ing at present. They will not wear paint and feathers because they are not wearing them in their homes. The men will appear in overalls, bandanas and chaps, while the women will wear their bright colored shawls as a dis feature.