The Winslow mail., 1923-02-02
Indian
Lodge Tales
BY
Ford c. Frick
iIIITIIITIiIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTII
THE LEGEND OF FATHER
SUN

"
world nf sunshine and light they We're
very happy. and with Gne accord they
fell OF. Their knees and made sacrifice
to the Father Sun who frightened the
heavens and made the world warm
and comfortable FOR the tribesmen.
When they hail become settled in
their new world Rad had builded their
homes and made theis fires, then they
planted their crops IL order that they
might live in c0mfarf Round about
them they planted COLDER maize, xn,f
grain and many foods. Their hGekH
they took into the green fields to eat
Of the grass, and their h0rsee and
their cattle they turned iO0ke TO roam
in the besntiful valley where they had
Genre
But aS the days went ON the crops
failed, and the grass turned hroWn
and the streams dried up snd the
Navaj0s were much pertuFbetf, fer
they knew not what to tlo, For the
SUR, sweeping through the sky, had
essfsie close ta earth, and the. heat.
which st first had Seened pleasant,
hecane u9lbearabEe-RRd even the
trfbesmen themselves were made sick
by the brightness of Its rays. Many
there were among the tribesmen who
wished themselves hack In the world
0f twilight, but the read had been
closed and only great mountain re-
MA inN{i to mark where the roadway
had been.
As the summer came on many Of
fire ti'lresmen became sick unto death,
for tire heat was tergiffc-bUt there
was She place to So and no place TO
turn, for Sll the world was q vast
desert. burned by tie rays of the
Father Sun.
As matters became verse and
verse the tribesmen became desperate
and finally, one day, called great
council of the chief and the head
men and the witch doctors. For ten
days and ten nights these men sat in
s0leMn c0nclave to determine what
hest might he done 80 relieve their
oppressed people.
Finally, at the end of the ten days
and the ten nights they called the
tribe together, and the whole tribe,
even the women and the children
went to the top of high hill and
there they built altars and offered up
sacrifices and prayed to the Father
Sun that he might npgve back into
the heaven So his rays would not be
so hot.
When they had prayed for a long
time then the Father Sun sent down
to them a lesser god from the sky
chiefs and the medicine men and told
them that the sun had heard their
prayer.
And SO long as you remain faith
full to the Father Sun. who provides
you with heat and with light, so long
will he protect you the messenger
said. And when another day comes
then will the sun move back in the
heavens and the grass will grow green,
and water villa flow through the
streams. and flowers will bloom. and
the land will be Il land of happiness
and prosperity for the Navaios"
When he had finished speaking the
messenger disappeared in great
cloud and the people narveled much
and fell on their faces and gave
thanks.
When another day came it was as
the messenger had said, for the sun
had moved back into the sky and the
air was cool and the trees grew leaves
and the corn sprouted ana flowers
bloomed and the world was world Of
happiness.
SO it has been to This day. And
the sun who is the father who pro
tects the Navajos. has ever warmed
the earth with his rays and caused
the corn to grow and the flowers to
bloom.
Nor have the Navaios forgotten the
promise they made many years ago,
on the great hilltop, when the world
was young Each morning when they
arise they face toward the east and
give thanks to the Father Sun who
gives them warmth and light. and each
night they face toward the west and
give thanks for the day that has gone
Here in our village if you will look,
YOU will see that every house faces
the east and each morning we are
awakened by the early rays of the
sun which come in through the doors
and the windoWs-for that is as Il
should be. and even as it was prom
ised by the great chiefs ages and ages
ago when the NavajoS came out of the
world of twilight into the world of
sunshine and light
Nofe-To this day the Navajo tribes
of Arizona and New Mexico continue
to build their houses facing the east.
Even In the large villages the homes