The mirror., 1923-03-22

same has been the fate of the southern
tribes, planters and agriculturists. The
coast Indians of the Northwest, dwellers
in Lighthouses, people of totem-pole and
mighty sea-going canoe hunters of whale
and otter, fishers in the streams and sounds
but few still retain their old hunting
grounds.
The Pueblo Indians are the dwellers in
the desert. In New Mexico and Arizona,
on high arid tableand, on the brink of
bottomless canyon and on sunbaked noun
tain-ledge, are found their stone dwell
ings-busblos, the Spaniards called them
built solidly and of large size, housing
many families, in some cases whole COM
nunity. Irrigation of the soil-with them
an ancient art-enables them to find abrn-
dant sustenance in agriculture, and unli''
less fortunate tribes, still to remain self
supporting Among the Pueblos the Hopi,
Havasupai, Moki, Zuni and Navajo (Na-
vajo) are most prominent. The Navahos
live in log and turf houses, and are or
have been nomads, and sometimes unwel-
come, troublesome neighbors to other tribes
whole, who have always been known as
the People of Peace.
Dwelling in their canyon homes, plant
ing their crops in deep river courses, weav-
ing, in wonderfully artistic color and
pattern, expert in pottery-making and
artistic metal-work, fashioning ornaments
in silver and native stones, and, in COM
mon with their brothers of forest and
plain, preserving their sacred dances ard
mystical ceremonies, the Pueblos remain
as far reminders of mighty and i'm
memorial past. They are the closest to
the ancient civilizations of Mexico and
Central America who were fast declining
when Cortes came. They live an indus
trious, peaceful life; they supply their
own frugal needs; their lands are still ir
their possession, and although arid and
mountainous, suffice these sons of the
desert.
Many friends of the Indian wish to see
him retain his own customs and old pic
turesque dress. In most tribes these have
almost if not entirely fallen into disuse;
but the Pueblos have kept them in a
marked degree, and let us hope, for good.
However, even before the white men con-
tacted the Indians, their manners, dress
and customs changed slowly as time
passed, and we should never regret to see,
in our times, our Indian brothers adapt
themselves to changing conditions Just as
we do In the case of the Plains Indians,
the white mans horse was introduced as
early as the sixteenth century, and its ac-
quirement by the people of the plains
changed to great extent their mode of
life. During the centuries following, other
products and innovations reached the In
dians-who have always been quick to
adopt them. And yet the early nineteenth
century found them in most part still liv-
ing on their old hunting grounds, and still
thoroughly picturesque and essentially In
dian.' This was because they had not
been overwhelmed by a multitude of
strange ways, but had gradually adopted
and made them their own. If the great
nations of Mexico, Yucatan, and Peru had
rot been overwhelmed and crushed, but
had been allowed to conform gradually to
the new civilization growing up in the
New World-what might they not have
given us, their successors, for meeting in
our turn the needs of the future? The
white mans ill-treatment of his Indian
brother may in years to come bring MANY
regrets.
The first discoverers and explorers of
America, without exception, were well
coined by the people of the new world,
whose hostility was never aroused until
they suffered wrong at the hands of those