The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, HavasupaisJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Indians of the Painted Desert Region: Hopis, Navahoes, Wallapais, Havasupais
James, George Wharton
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
Living in Shipauluvi is one of those singular anomalies so often found
in the pueblos, an albino woman. There are a dozen or so living in the
other villages. With Hopi face, but white hair and skin, pink eyes, and
general bleached-out appearance, they never fail to excite the greatest
surprise in the mind of the stranger, and to those who see them often
there is still a lingering wonder as to the cause of so singular a
variation of physical appearance. At Mashonganavi there are two men
albinos, one of them one of the Snake priests. It is claimed by the
Indians that these albinos are of as pure Hopi blood as those who are
normal in color, and the fact is incontrovertible that they are born of
pure-blooded parents on both sides.
Returning now to the terrace below, common to both Mashonganavi
and Shipauluvi, the trail is descended to Shungopavi. A deep canyon
separates the mesa upon which this village is built from the one
upon which the two former are located. Near the foot of the trail
the government has established a schoolhouse, and close by are the
springs and pools of water. It is a sandy ride or walk, and on a hot
day--"a-tu-u-u"--wearisome and exhausting. For half a dollar or so one
may hire a burro and his owner as guide, and it is much easier to go
burro-back over the yielding sand than to walk. There are straggling
peach trees on the way, and a trail, rocky and steep, to ascend ere we
see Shungopavi.
The wagons may be driven to the village (as mine were), but it is a
long way around. The road to Oraibi across the mesa is taken, and when
about half-way across a crude road is followed which runs out upon the
"finger tip" where Shungopavi stands. Here the governor in 1901 was
Lo-ma-win-i, and he and I became very good friends. Knowing my interest
in the Snake Dance, he sent for the chief priests of the Snake and
Antelope Clans (Kai-wan-i-wi-ya-ŭ-má and Lo-ma-ho-in-i-wa), and from
them I received a cordial invitation to be present and participate in
the secret ceremonials of the kiva at their next celebration. I have
been privileged to be present, but was never invited before.
The governor is an expert silversmith, the necklace he wears being
a specimen of his own art. It is wonderful how, with their crude
materials and tools, such excellent work can be produced. Mexican
dollars are melted in a tiny home-made crucible, rude moulds are carved
out of sand--or other stone into which the melted metal is poured, and
then hand manipulation, hammering, and brazing complete the work.
Their silver articles of adornment are finger rings, bracelets, and
necklaces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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