The North American Indian, Vol. 1Curtis, Edward S.
History
The North American Indian, Vol. 1
Curtis, Edward S.
Indians of North America
AFTER-WORLD—When the good die their spirits are believed to go to a home
of plenty in the sky, where they hunt among great herds of buffalo. Those
who have practised "bad medicine," or sorcery, go to another part of the
sky and spend eternity in vain effort to dig through the rock into the
land of the good.
NAMES FOR INDIAN TRIBES—
Apache
Mohave
Yuma
Pima
Chishín (Red Paint)
Comanche
Arapaho
Kiowa and all Plains tribes
Nda (Enemies)
Jicarillas - Haísndayĭn (People Who Came from Below)
Mescaleros - Natahí̆n (Mescal)
Navaho - Inltané̆ (Corn Planters)
Pueblos - Chĭáin (Have Burros)
Ute - Yóta
THE NAVAHO
[Illustration: _Tobadzĭschí̆nĭ_ - Navaho]
_Tobadzĭschí̆nĭ_ - Navaho
_From Copyright Photograph 1904 by E.S. Curtis_
LANGUAGE—Athapascan.
POPULATION—About 17,000 (officially estimated at 20,600).
DRESS—Primitively the men dressed in deerskin shirts, hip-leggings,
moccasins, and native blankets. These were superseded by what has been the
more universal costume during the present generation: close-fitting cotton
or velvet shirt, without collar, cut rather low about the neck and left
open under the arms; breeches fashioned from any pleasing, but usually
very thin, material, and extending below the knees, being left open at the
outer sides from the bottom to a little above the knees; deerskin
moccasins with rawhide soles, which come to a little above the ankles, and
brown deerskin leggings from moccasin-top to knee, held in place at the
knee by a woven garter wound several times around the leg and the end
tucked in. The hair is held back from the eyes by a head-band tied in a
knot at the back. In early times the women wore deerskin waist, skirt,
moccasins, and blanket, but these gradually gave place to the so-called
"squaw-dress," woven on the blanket loom, and consisting of two small
blankets laced together at the sides, leaving arm-holes, and without being
closed at top or bottom. The top then was laced together, leaving an
opening for the head, like a poncho. This blanket-dress was of plain dark
colors. To-day it has practically disappeared as an article of Navaho
costume, the typical "best" dress of the women now consisting of a velvet
or other cloth skirt reaching to the ankles, a velvet shirt-like waist cut
in practically the same manner as that of the men, and also left open
under the arms. Many silver and shell ornaments are worn by both sexes.
The women part their hair down the middle and tie it in a knot at the
back.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account