The Winslow mail., 1925-07-24
A PLEA FOR MORE
WOMANLY DRESS
BY ABIGAIL K. JOHNSON.
Sunlight Mission, Toreva

LIVERY year the numbers who
IA visit Hopiland to see the sum-
mer ceremonies, are increasing;
great numbers now make the trip
across the hot sands over rough
roads, washed out by recent rains,
and with difficulty cross the sWol
len streams, yet they come.
In the early days, when automO-
biles first ventured out on the deS-
ert sand, there were interesting
stories told of a strong span of
mules, a team of large horses and
Hopi men who did heroic work of
taking tourists through the hign
waters, often on their backs, thus
earning a little extra money.
In those days in spite of all the
hardships, the white ladies ap-
peared in the villages in pretty
dresses, their long hair dressed in
styles that were beautiful and be-
coming. much to the delight OF the
Hopi people
1t was a joy to the Hopi woman
to see her white sister thus dain-
! tily and modestly dressed and she
secretly entertained a desire to be
like her.
| The men of the tribe, with their
artistic turn of mind and love of
the beautiful, gave them. many ad-
miring glances; both men and
women have welcomed the coming
| af it,fe u oh 10
every kindness.
Sometimes a woman would visit
! the villages in mannish clothes.
This was not only not admired, but
brought out a feeling Of disgust for
the woman who so far had lost her
care for dainty things and with it,
to the Hopi mans thought, her
modesty, too.
One man said: did you see that
woman half like a man and half
like a woman? 1t make me just
very cross! l saw her riding a
horse; from her head to her waist
| she look like a woman, but her
legs look like man. 1t make me
just very cross"
A party came from California in
which was a pretty young lady
dressed like man An old Hopi
man who had a little knowledge OF
English had habit of greeting
strange white man with the
words: you handsome" or If a
lady. with You beautiful" but
when he saw the young lady from
California he was puzzled greatly
as Just how to word his greeting.
Stepping up close to her and look
ing at her garments, he said; ''4o'l
boy? Then, looking at her face,
he said: "Maybe-so you girl"
The Hopi woman deplores the
fact that the time has come when
| the dainty clothes, the mark OF a
woman's gentleness and modesty
have become a thing Of the past
and her long hair, her croWnlng
glory. has been taken away, and
she has put herself DOWN on d
level with the cowboy OF the plains
with his spurs, knife and revolver
Hopi men and women both have
talked a great deal about the sub
ject and all have said it was like
an insult to them. The women
look upon their white sisters with
shame and the men with disgust
All agree that some stand should
be taken by them against it.
mot that the dress of our WON
en- is anything that we can boast
Of, but at least it is womanly,. anC
if the white ladies wish to come
and witness our ceremonies, where
our women wear their best clothes
they should not be careless enough
of our taste in these matters to OF
fend us in this way"
There has been some talk OF put
ting up a signboard prohibiting
women, who are not dressed az
such, from entering the villages
though the council has not def
nitely decided upon it.
"One has said: There is moth
ing against ladies wearing man
nish clothes on the trip out here
but they should respect us suffi
GENTLY to put on a wOmanly gar
ment before entering our villages.
But another becomes very DOJC
and, being near the railroad, de
clares he will accOst every woman
before she leaves the railroad anC
demand that she be prepared to bf
properly clothed before witnessing
the ceremonies.
ga word to the wise is suffi
cient."
We hope this summer a new or
der of things will come and women
visiting the Hopi villages will not
only wear dresses, but pretty
dresses with pretty sleeves in them
that they may please the Hopis
who love pretty things and are
looking for a certain charm OF
dress and manners in their white
sisters, who have had advantages
of schools and colleges above all
that it is possible for Uncle Sam
to do for the Hopi women.