New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1929-01-04
ASIA7lC TRACES
IN new Mexico
Hhndosa Impressed BY Oh
MYing Tl@ Indian Life

Warrington. Jan. I R-The great
AStsc civilization has persisted. but
Z contemporary culture resembling
It In many ways and at the same
time showing clear traces OF ex-
tremely remote Asiatic ancestry
has been preserved throughout the
modern development Of America by
tho proud, handsome. conservative
tribe Of Indians that has lived for
countless generations in the Taos
pueblos In New Mexico.
J. P. Harrington Of the bureau
of American ethnology. who studies
the Taos Indians this summer in the
course of an effort to record the
languages, CULTURES and histories OF
the southwestern tribes before the
aged members carry with them 10
the grave their vanishing lore Of the
past, found that they have retained
their primitive culture in much pur-
er form than any of the other
Pueblo groups.
Most OF the Pueblos," he observ-
Is, ARE getting to follow the white
way. and such Indians are looked
down upon by the Taos. They are
the most northern of all the Pueblo
Indians and are the largest. tallest
and finest looking. They keep them
selves and their houses and town
very clean and are = handsome
group Of people"
The town, which attracts artists
and tourists as we'll as scientists
from all parts Of the world. is 50
miles north of Santa Fe in the heart
OF the Rockies and has a popula-
ton OF about 900 Indians. who still
observe the customs Of their ances-
tors most rigidly. wearing white
blankets. leggings and long hair.
They have two communal dwell
ings Of adobe, separated by a beau
tiful, clear creek spanned by prim-
tive bridges OF foot logs hewn with
old Indian axes.
The houses are relatively new.
having been constructed after fire
a similar group early III
the seventeenth century.
The northern pueblo retains its
original five stories. but that on the
southern side of the creek has been
reduced to three by falling in Of the
upper part. The Indians like to
loaf on their roofs, always wearing
their white blankets.
A mud wall surrounds the village.
and outside are the fields and the
places where the Indians obtain
their clay, paints and various roots
and herbs. To the northeast rises a
magic mountain called by an In
dian name which means "the high
one." and far to the west rises an
other known as the Coyotes Ears"
because of its two little peaks.
The Indians. Mr.. Harrington
knew all the surrounding
places by curious old names in their
own language. some Of which are
certainly many centuries old"
THE civilization of these Indi-
ans" he says, resembles in not a
few points that OF the Aztecs Of
and the Asiatic aspect of
their life impresses one wildly.
1T is perfectly clear that eastern
Asiatic peoples spilled over into
America. crossing the Boring strait
even knowing they were
eaving Asia. They followed the
coast southNard bringing their old
Asiatic languages and customs with
hem. but taking on variations in
heir way OF life as they came into
he environments dominated by the
Mountains, the buffalo or the coast.
Nevertheless the Indians, being
Asiatics. may be expected to have
rich and ancient civilization. and
his 10 precisely what is being found
lmonH them"