Detroit evening times., 1943-08-29
'HEEElNG caIV-drosscd ~

deep iu the Matte Crosse
a hoIdav atmosphere pcrvadod
The entire area. From rcFd fIuics
came cheerful <Husic. aHa- 't-,a-
beat ont .snappy rhythms 20
winch a thousand sandaicd feet
kept time
The Indians were hcdeokcj I'M
colo,m birds tail tae.bors.
highly polished crocodile hides.
and pcccay tccth ncgl1ccs aud
ankle bands Their hcod- were
>top-hcavy with dus,or crowns If
CMCkcu feathers cnctrclod with
thc\Xcd bcaks of many roostcrs.
Tacsc\Sayaeos. members of thu
cclcbrat&l 1ool NIL " Iuo'
tribe had \Nathercd 10 celebrate
the ploy Of dN2th by suicide
ttTTT7v t5UgtItNT TTTE riUTTJTh
the wilderness. T'Qs was what
first attracted the attention of
PARTY uf mining UUEtUCCrs on
route RECENTLY 10 the Euliv'an
border ovtr the ancicut Nuro
Emo Trail first hla2cd hy ne
Portuguese.
we dctourcd less than a kilo-
meter" said Torres Sahna the
other dav IN C0ncopCI7iT WhCn
we hit the parade dead contcr0
WIS then We found 1vrrHt 'ftt1
the cheering was about Those
Indians were applaudlng fu-
moral procession Sixteen corpscS.
carried on vine strctchers by a
score or moro Of chuckling pail
bearers. were being carried TO
the burial place through "A lane
OF merrymakcrs
I'VE just stood and stared
There was no sion Of mourn
ing anywhere At first we didn't
know what TO make Of it bat We
found ont later all right. We
hemcd that any people who
could LAUGH so heartily couldn I
bc dangerous and so we risked |
approaching them after the 'fes-
uvities meaning the burial Of !
the bodies were over and the
natives had started on the return |
trip 10 their village. This was
situated in a tight little valley,
the most beautifully tended you
ever saw. These Indians, unlike |
-fftt-st-t,f- -etA-I-ttihas- ll44- Ia |
Matto Crosse. were agricultural- |
lists. although they hunted for !
The food they needed and also
did some fishing hut they |
weren't bit War-likc.
Their little valley was like |
soms ;hnG YOU dream about but |
rarely sec Every inch Of IT WAS |
planted IN native vegetables
There was a lot Of corn. all in
nice even rows. and fields Of
wheat. potatoes and every truck
We Ectab bic YOU can imagine.
Flowers. in beautifully patterned |
gardens, were everywhere. II was |
"A colorful little Shangri La
complimented the chief on the
neatness and the system Of the
place. hat aIl the tuDc that chccr
ing at the big funeral worried
me
Yes. said the chief, it is
what you say. and we are happy
here because We are only 1ool
There's just enough land for that
many people. II was proved cen
mries ago by our fathers. We sec
to it that we are never more |
than 1OOl
Now this was funny talk |
said Saboia, and I asked him 20
explain. Wei. ne did and when !
ne was through l wasn't SO sure |
suicide wasn't about the best |
plan these people could have !
adopted 10 keep their population |
down 10 that set figure. If the |
death rate didn't keep the num-
ber right. then there was appar-
emily only one way out sclf-dc-
structon by volunteers.
That's why said the chef !
we celebrated today We were !
1917 this morning. md16 OF our
tribesmon promptly took their
lives. We honor them by hcing |
cheerful They would have il no
other way We viii have another !
mass funeral any day NOW, since |
number Of babies are cNpected I
New houors OF suicide viii go 20
those first 20 ask permission to
make way for the newly horn
These Indians considered il
an honor 10 commit uWculc They
wanted immortality bv hoiuG
mcmorialzcd with monuments
in the village I didn't realize
how many must have KILLED
themselves down through The
centuries mtn later saw acres
OF htue slabs carved ont of
wood and stuck into the ground
over tie graves
I got il straight that their