New Britain herald., 1928-11-02
INDIAN FESTIVAL
 SAME AS OF OLD
M Rsn,ibd Unchanged Dur
 ing Ctnturi6

Washington, Nov. !. R1The au- tunn festival of the Taos Indiana who have retained their highly de- vs1oped primitive culture through many centuries in the mountains Of nefthern New Mexico. is described by J. F. Harrington of the bureau of American ethnology as one of the most picturesque and significant cer- emonies he has witnessed in his long study of American aborigines.
 The ceremonies. consisting prin- cipally of symbolic dances preserv- ed in great purity through countless generations by this tall race of proud. conservative Indians, annually attract . large number of scientists, artists and tourists to the ancient pueblo village which the Taos have guarded successfully against the enroach- ments of white civilization.
 The dancing, MT. Harrington ex- plains. is the expression of . pray CT, that the boon of rain may be granted and the road of life may be long and lucky. Beginning in the evening of September 29. it con- .tinues throughout the following day. This year the prayer was answered promptly with a heavy thundershow- CT while the dancing was in progress.
 The dancing is performed in the public square of the village between the two communal adobe houses. Both these dwellings were original ly five stories high. five being q mag ic number among these Indians just as 1t Is among the Chinese and cor responding to the magical number three of the white civilization. Ono Of the pueblos retains all Of its five stories, but the two upper tiers Of the second have fallen away.
 On September 30 the dancing starts at 9 .. m. and continues un- til noon. when the dancers all run for tho creek and bathe. After noon the chifonetes 2 group of trained rit- .ual dancers, come out and usurp the program.
 'These." MT. Harrington explains, ."6ersonify the kind of beings who were met coming from the sun when the Taos Indians were still migrating south in search of thelr present home thousands of years ago. They have their bodies all painted with hori- sontal stripes of alternating white and black. and their hair tide up up with corn husks.
 'The chifonetes make believe they arc hunting in the mountains, look ing for game. and end the drama by discovering a tall greased pole, at the top of which, suspended from two small cross bars, is an entire sheep. freshly slaughtered. great nets of watermelons and many other forms of game One after another they scale the heights and bag their game.
 '"rhe Indian name of Taos Is 'The Red Willows" and it is, in their doc Urine. the chosen land and center of the earth. Their ancestors for cen- turtles believed that place appropri- ate for them would be prepared by the unseen forces of the world. but 1t was not ordained that they should migrate from the far north directly ,to' it. Instead, they had to travel. broken into small bands. by circui- Aous routes, building many pueblos !at other sites and living in them sometimes for 10 or 20 generations before the urge for the appropri- Ate place made them pack up house. hold goods and gods and hit the trail Ter . new site.
 "The first people that came into i6s chosen land were few in num- ,esr. but their medicine men imme- .dtately perceived the hidden truth fhat that was the place. Ono by