Evening star., 1942-08-04
BY GLADWIN HILL,
Wide World.

Wide World
HAVASUPAI INDIAN RESERVA-
TION. Ariz. Aug. 4.-That white
teacher supervisor of this little tribe
OF 21S recently asked one of the
Supais how many horses he owned.
Il don't know" he replied.
Well" asked the supervisor
aware that the Indians herd num-
bered around so. IF you don't know
how many you have, how can you
ever tell if they are all there?"
Just look at herd" the Supai
said, see If there are any missing" >"
The Supais. who have lived for
untold centuries in this deep little
mile-square canyon. so miles by car
and horseback from civilization, are
a strange people, with many con-
tradictions and paradoXes.
They pride themselves on their
isolation and purity of blood, yet
during their winter Wanderings on
the plateau above they have mingled
considerably with the neighboring
Navajos, Hopis and Walapais. and
today it is hard to find two Supais
who seem to be the same physical
type. Some look like American
Indians, some like Mexicans, some
just like Peruvians.
Three Chiefs, None Very Busy.
A scientist wondering about
whether American Indians came of
Aslatic stock could find plenty of
indications among the Supais. There
are men who look like Mongols, boys
hardly distinguishable from jap
anese, and squaws and babies who
look just like Eskimos.
Although, with their crops of corn,
fruit and cattle they are constantly
combating drought. they are one
tribe that has no rain dance.
While some tribes are satisfied
with one chief, the few Supais have
three-yet none of them does much.
Tribal affairs are handled by a
council OF seven, one of whom is
designated as chairman-but when
there is any chairman ling to be
done, the chairman sits back and
lets the tribal orator handle it.
They are shy of cameras-appar-
emily because of the aboriginal be-
lief that camera takes some of
the subject away with it-yet when
they have picture of themselves.
they will ride a mile to exhibit it
proudly to you.
Want Detailed Answers.
They habitually answer white
mems questions with as few mono
sylables as possible, yet among
themselves gable at fantastic
lengths about the smallest matters
and when they ask questions
OF white men, insist on the most de-
tailed explanations. -.
Some Supais have Indian names
llke Watahomigie, but some have
long since adopted white names like
jackson Jones-yet the latter among
themselves always refer to one an
other by their original Indian
names.
Ihey raise peaches and apricots,
but buy canned pineapple by mail
=. o. u. from grocery store so
mlles away. A Supais annual
cash income tfrom sources like trad
ing and CCC work. may run as low
as $25-yet one will lend another
a horse to rent to a white man for
$40 and not expect any compensa-
cording to the distance they have
to go, not the time involved.
A Supai man may own a plot of
ground and another man own the
1ruit trees on it. Although everv-
body Is always riding everybody
else's horses, a man wouldn't think
OF borrowing his brothers horse for
f1ve minutes without asking special
permission. ..
One Consistent Answer.
And once, to settle an argument
about the ownership of house
they just cut the house in two and
moved one section half a mile awav
Inc Supais are probably the only
FOPNS "AAo "OulQ SpuIn week S
pay for a trifling task and then a
few hours later turn around and do
the same work for you for nothing
One morning the photographer
and I were passing one of their
three beautiful waterfalls and a
young Indian girl was coming up
the trail. We asked her to pose by
the fall. How much would we
pay her? Fifty cents. She wanted
a dollar. We demurred, 50 she lust
rode. on by.
The same afternoon, she was sit
ting IN the swing at the reserva :
tion's little white schoolhouse and
we asked her again II we might take
her picture. She posed willingly
for nothing.
Don't ask why. The only answer
Is the Supai's consistent answers to
most questions about their hide
away-names of canyons, streams
makers OF trails, owners of plots of
ground, sources of buildings and
equipment:
"Supai"