Evening star., 1936-08-26
x.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

~ RABBI. AriZ.. August 26.-The
n Oldest town in the United
n States is a crumbling gray
49, ruin near the end of its days.
when Columbus landed. it was
thriving, solidly built city Of about
1000 population, the metropolis of the
area. 1t was the home of an advanced
civilization for at least 200 years be-
fore the Spaniards founded st. Angus
tine. 1t has been continuously in
habited ever since. Two or three of
the original houses still stand.
p But the population Of Old Oraibi,
erumbling on its high cliff, now has
dwindled to about rs Hopi Indian
farmers and potters. This is probably
the last generation Of its occupancy,
for below the gray mesa is rising new
Oraibi, a modern stone town, with
school, church, store and water sup
ply. Through this new town runs
rough automobile road, and the folks
of Oraibi are becoming motor con-
scious.
Even as late as 80 years ago, accord
ing to Lorenzo Hubble, the Indian
trader, who owns the store in new
Oraibi and has spent all his life in the
neighborhood, the old place was thriv-
ing, with population of about 1000.
1t has fallen, paradoxically enough.
because its people were too progressive.
The turning point came in 1906. In
that year, it appears, the high priest
of the Oraibi mesa got modern ideas
OF having white schools set up for the
children and adopting new methods of
agriculture. He went to Washington
to see Theodore Roosevelt about it and
came back with about what he wanted
In the way of Government grants.
Conservatives Outraged.
But his reception was far different
than that which usually awaits a sue
cessful politician bringing home the
spoils. The conservatives were out
ragged that Lolomai should thus have
flown in the face of tradition The
leader among them was a powerful
Indian named Yuki-Yuma, who dug up
out of the Hopi tradition an ancient
prophecy that some day the people Of
Oraibi would cross river and that
would be the end of the proud old city.
YukiYuma confronted Lolomai in
the public square with this prophecy
and demanded showdown. With the
heel of his boot he drew line in the
sand through the center of the plaza.
This" he said, lis the river. We
shall see who will cross
The progressive Lolomai' accepted
the challenge. Both gathered their fol-
lowers, and all day long there was
an herculean pushing contest. the
equivalent to a tug-of-war. Finally
the conservatives were pushed across
the line. They interpreted this as
meaning that they had crossed the
water in accordance with the ancient
prophecy and that their city was
doomed. So Yuki-Yuma led his fol-
lowers-about $50 men and their fam
ilies-out of Oraibi They built for
themselves a new town, Bakabi, about
5 miles away.
Any Who Leave Barred Forever.
Lolomai remained with the rest in
Oraibi. He was man of great inf1u-
ence upon the Hopi, and the damage
1ILSI1b lIdNC DCC1A iCPdh CA CASCPe Ava
the tremendous weight of tradition
upon the people. The progressive was
as much affected by it as anybody else.
After few weeks those who had fol-
lowed Yuki-Yuma became sick Of their
bargain and wanted to come back to
their old homes. But, due to another
Hopi belief, the way was closed against
them. 1t long had been a dogma OF
the tribe that Oraibi was all-sufhcient
and that any family which set up an
establishment elsewhere never could
return. This tradition was as potent
with these people as the flaming sword
which guarded the portals Of Eden.
The followers of Lolomai carried on,
but the life was gone out Of the town
with the egress Of so much Of its
population. From time to time during
the past 80 years one family after
another has left-to live in the village
below the cliff or, due to the depres-
sion which has affected profoundly
Oraibi economics, to find work on