The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-06-28
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS
sv HAL BOYLE

alO: Put a silver Dei OF ucI- HcI
you'll hear her coming - and yoI
can get out of her way.
The Navajos started this pecu
liar custom hundreds of years age
because of a superstition that j
a son-in-law ard mother-ln-la"
meet face to face Unexpectedly
both would go blind.
They had another rather unusual
solution to this old family problem
If a young Indian brave knew a
widow with an attractive daughter
he would first marry the widow
then the daughter and thus
avoid having any mother in law
trouble at all. All he had TO deal
with was two wives. Simple?
The Navajos. long impoverished
on a vast. arid Is million acre
reservation embracing parts OF
four Western states, are America $
largest Indian tribe. And instead
of dying out they are increasing
They still weave rugs and cast
silver jewelry for the tourist trade.
But they have new source of IN
come today mining uranium for
the palefaceS' atom bombs.
/ The NavajoS are held IN high
regard out here, and anthropolo-
giStS think the white man well
might adopt some aspects of their
culture. They are pretty well
adjusted people, and some feel
that this is a result of their up
bringing. Insanity IS very rare
among them 1t is also said that
no full blOoded Navajo shutters
an affection which psychlatrlstS
think arises from childhood lnSe
Icurlty.
The Indians make the world )
best parents, one man said
neither pamper nor punish their
children. They let them learn for
themselves, and as result an In
dian boy IS self reliant at the
age Of 10.
If a child must be punished, he
isn't whipped One of his parents
simply throws water on him
great disgrace.
The Nayajos are among the
cleaneSt of primitive peoples and
love to take sweat baths followed
By a plunge into cold water If
water is scarce, they roll naked
in snow or dry sand Long before
the virtues of chorophyll we're eX-
toiled over radio and televiSion,
these Indians had a way of re
moving body odors. They simply
rubbed themselves under the arms
with hot porous rocks provided by
natures free drugstore.
But although they are Spartan
beyond belief. they are more doc
tor minded than the hypochondrlac
matrons who dwell on Park Ave
nue. in New York.
! Some authorities estimate that
about one out Of every 10 Navajo
men Is either a medicine man or
studying to be one One reason is
that medicine men get high fees
and their fees are always paid
The other reason Is that Navajos.
while fearless Of death. are greatly
afraid Of illness They are also
afraid Of dead people. and viii
abandon their home il d member
Of the family dies in il
Cancer and diabetes are rare
among them tuberculosis is com
mon, however, because Of their
restricted diet.
Today many paleface doctors
say breakfast is the most imp0r
tant meal of the day The Nata]0s
anticipated this yIcp with an Old
provcrb What you cat before
noon makes you fat They also
prefer tough 10 lean meat on the
theory It must stay olth man
longer because II takes longer 10
che4 Butchers haven't been able
= sell this revolutionary idea In
the h.tc mans world but The.
are trying
Nasa5os are so tough bodied
thfy formerly caught eagles bare
handed and captured deer by ran