The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1919-01-23
N recent years explorers
have penetrated to the
uttermost parts of the


lEgS8GS have penetrated to the
lSEN uttermost parts Of the
lA-Alg earth. These expedi-
tons, combined with many and
varied means of rapid modern COM
munication over long distances,
have made the globe seem like a
small and thoroughly we'll known
place today.
But it is a fact that even yet ex-
plorers do occasionally return home
with some very unexpected results
in the way of discovery of new
people and new animals.
Stefansson's recent return from
the Attic recalls that he discovered
the so-called blonde Eskimo"
During another expedition, in
which Col. Roosevelt prominently
figured, the famous River of
Doubt was placed on the map.
And then there was the great
Congo expedition under American
auspices which penetrated through
ittle-known negro kingdoms into
the heart of the black continent
and brought back to civilization
several heretofore unknown ami
mails.
Now Leslie Spier, of the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History,
New York, has just had the unique
experience of observing truly
primative people living in this very
time, not in the heart of darkest
Africa, but right here within the
boundaries of the United States
the little-known Havasupai Indians
of Arizona.
These Indians are still what may
be called savage tribe and in
most particulars are not much fur
Their advanced in their manners
and customs than were our remote
ancestors of the stone age. They
have been almost totally passed by
in civilizations westward march
on this continent, principally be-
cause of their inaccessible location.
A strange story as in the chill
dren's wonder books is the tale of
this lost wild tribe. Few indeed
are the white men who have ever
to this day penetrated to their vii
lage, and even the younger Indians
distinctly remember the first white
man who descended to their canyon
home. They live in the bottom of
Cataract creek. gigantic chasm
which joins the Grand Canyon of
the Colorado in western Arizona.
The nearest traders store is 120
miles away, and nearly waterless
desert lies between it and the pre-
cipitous trail in the narrow canyon.
The canyon walls are 5000 feet
high-four times the height of the
Woolworth building-with sheer
sides to which the horse trail clings
until it plunges in zigzags down a
corner of the wall.
The Havasupai are ignorant of
the use of matches and still light
their fires by rubbing sticks to-
gether. and less than ten years ago
they we're using exclusively stone
heads for their hunting arrows and
stone implements in their different
occupations. and to an extent they
use them still. They are so far be-
hind the times that they nave out
little idea of money or its value
and have no regular use for it
among themselves.
Because of their isolated position
they are almost entirely without
communication with the outside
world; wars may wage and dynas-
ties tumble as they have during
the past four years without their
knowledge. They have never been
warriors because they have always
been numerically weak. Hostile
raids into their canyon home have
been ineffective because of the diff
ficulties of ingress. They are as
simple, friendly and intelligent a