Indians of North America -- Colorado; Mesa Verde National Park (Colo.)
Most important of all to the youth is his religious education and this
is in the hands of his “ceremonial father.” When the boy was born one of
his mother’s brothers was selected for this task and he is responsible
for the religious training of his young nephew. The two spend long hours
together as the uncle tells the legends and beliefs of the tribe. Since
there is no written language, these can be learned only through hearing
them repeated over and over. During the first years of training the boy
learns only the general things which all the people may know but when he
is twelve or fourteen he is ready for the secret part of his religious
training. Under the sponsorship of his “ceremonial father” he is taken
into one of the kivas and initiated into the secret society to which his
“ceremonial father” belongs. Now he is taught the secrets of the society
and its ceremonies and soon he begins to take part in the ceremonial
work. From this time on the kiva plays an important part in the young
man’s life. He goes there not only for ceremonial purposes but to work,
loaf, gamble or even to sleep. If his mother’s house is crowded with
younger children, he may sleep in his kiva most of the time until he
marries. And even after marriage he may sleep within the safe confines
of the kiva during occasional periods of strife in his home.
As the dry weather continues the men keep an anxious eye on the sky.
Certain conditions must develop before the rains can come. In June there
is a sigh of relief from the farmers. The sky is no longer a solid
canopy of blue. Along the northeastern horizon great white clouds begin
to appear. At first they are small but each day they grow larger. Soon
they are tremendous, billowy, white thunderheads that boil up until they
cover half the sky. Soon they will break and the worries of the farmers
will be over.
The crops are growing well. By the end of June the corn is almost knee
high and the men thin it out. The weak stalks are pulled out of each
hill leaving the five or six strongest ones. The fight against weeds is
continued but during most of the summer the men have a great deal of
time for other activities.
During the times when they are not completely occupied with their farms
they work at their various crafts and as a result there is much trading.
Each man needs certain things such as turkey feather blankets, cotton
blankets, jewelry, tanned buckskin, sandals, leggings, bows, arrows,
planting sticks, stone knives and scrapers, yucca fiber cords and ropes,
axes, hammers, and countless other things. Some of the men can and do
make any or all of these things. Most of the men, however, specialize on
the things they can do best and trade for their other necessities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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