The Washington times., 1937-02-24
NOW
Mrs. Denm1n
Aids Science
INDIAN ARTS
BY HELEN ESSARY

big job successfully. So-the news
that Mrs. William Denman, Of
San Francisco, who has spent
many months here, is taking ar
important part in San Francisco's
Golden Gate Exposition Of 1888
is agreeable to many Washingto
mans.
Mrs. Denman Is chairman OF
the committee on presentation Of
American Indian culture. Work
ing with her are archaeologiSts
and university professors OF In
dian lore.
It is their task to show at the
exhibition the ancient beginning
and development of the American
Indian culture.
There will be seen the indians
themselves still working as in the
stone Age, from wood and bone
cafvers of the Alaska and British
Columbia coast through the arts
of the plains to the weavers, pot
ters and jewelers. of the South
west.
Chinese, Japanese, East Indian
arts and crafts have all had pro
found study-but the Indian cul
lures whose places we have just
taken have been neglected.
Much of Europe is keen about
Indian baSketry, weaving and
painting. Paris is an enthusiastic
market for Indian crafts. The
United States is just beginning to
realize its value.
Between trips to New York
Mrs. Denman has been in Wash
ington during the past month con
sulting Indian experts in the De.
partment of Interior. She will
start West in a few days. Will
leave the train for a 150-mile trip
across the Arizona desert. Visiting
friends among the Hopis, zunis
and Pueblos she will tell them OF
the big chance the exposition
offers to acquaint the world with
their beautiful handiwork and
their contribution.
Mrs. Denman became interested
In the Indian cultures several
years ago. Alone she has made
many trips into the deserts and
snountains of the Southwest.
The Indians liked her and
trusted her. They invited her to
their ceremonial dances, to see
them performed not by renegades
hired for the average tourist, but
sincerely and beautifully as they
are done on special religious
occasions.
Mrs. Denman is one Of the few
white women permitted to enter
the kivas. Kiva is a Hopi name
and means sacred chamber. In
the Pueblo villages the kiva is
usually built underground and is
used as an assembly room in re-
ligiouS rites. One enters 1t from
an opening in the roof.
It is the theory of the Indians
of the southwest that man comes
from the earth and returns to
the earth when he dies. In their
religious ceremonies they try to
get as close to the earth as pos
sible. The ceremonial snake dance
of the Hopis is a hope of COM
municating with ancestors al
ready underground.
The ancestors of the Indians OF
the Southwest came from Siberia
about 10000 years ago, archaeolo-
gists believe. They are Of Oriental
stock. While the japanese, the
chinese and the Egyptians were
developing their arts in Asia and
Africa the Indians were working
out their own art forms in Amer
lea.
The land in the Southwest is not
desirable. Therefore the white
man has not pressed in on the
Indian dwellers there, and they
have kept untouched a large part
Of their ancient way of life.
The late Mrs. Ickes was a IA
NOUS student of the Arizona, New
Mexico Indians. They gave her
many of their treasures Of feather
weaving and painting on skin.
PEOPLE YOU HEAR ABOUT
Baroness Shidzue Ishimoto Of
Tokyo, now in this country, a
leader in the japanese woman suf.
frage movement, thinks it very
amusing that American women
should worry about their wrinkles.
Instead they should be glad be.
cause they are the most privileged
women in the world.
The enterpriSing hostess who
persuades Justice Oscar L. Luhring
to cook at her dinner party as he
learned to cook when a boy on
Western camping trips will give
her other guests first class thrill.
The Judge knows how to mix a
sour-dough biscuit in the center of
flour bag. His old-fashioned
hand ground buckwheat griddle
cakes have a flavor you cant for
get. He personally has to pass on
the buckwheat flour before he uses
it. But he will condeScend to use
an electric grill for the master
pieces he turns out.
Mrs. Cameron Morrison, whose
late husband was Senator from
North Carolina, now runs a model
farm near Charlotte. Shortly be-
fore Valentine Day Mrs. Ogilvie
Shumate received from Mrs. Nor.
riSon q large box, obviously a Val.
entine greeting. Mrs. Shumate's
daughter, Mrs. William Morgan,
with whom she lives, left the box
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