Show IE AND AD INTERESTING FACTS ATS ABOUT ABOT I ART AND SUPERSTITIOUS OF NA AlOES MAIOS V tany rany interest interesting ins and surprising facts farts concerning the art of the Navajo InnS Jn In nS and the fn m of that art arta a to the th religion and superstition tion n of the tribe have hu boon ben bron brought ht u light ht by W. W of Boulder I 10 wh who is a guest at the tho Kenyon ote Selling hats hate is ill the profession fol fol- wed b bv by Mr Ml but this docs does t wholly occupy his is mind Ills His hobb hobby tad ful special study I is anthropology an and the ia-the pursuit o ot knowledge concerning 1 Ibe races race of mankind of this and former 8 at ae f ho he hall ban bad many strange and weird ri nc 8 in remote te corners of tho the 3 tx v. v OJ constitutes a wide field v atlon and Mr Ir I particular attention to the tho I Dd nd their modern prototypes Y jo o These investigations iu have havel I IJ l J ted ned on bv hv him among the tho In- In themselves in their tepees by r fires in their councils and the bunt hunt lie Ho has observed ed many weird religious festivals and ceremonies Sand and has seen the artists oC OL the tribe at their work of making makin beautiful beau u ornaments a of f silver sih manufacturing ing lug the intricately designed baskets and nd weaving the w wonderful blankets that bear tho the tribal name Means of Study The study of the handicraft of the Navajo Indians as ns depicted in their r articles artiles of manufacture including din the famous Navajo blankets t the le silverware and anil the basket weaving wea is JS is one of the most complex that is is afforded the student student stu stu- dent of or the Indian and his bis habits 11 Those iese 1 ose designs are not mtr merely h the geometrical l expression of an artistic idea but carry far greater si significance to the few who can read them Each part of tho the design de do sign sin has a n specific meaning T Take kt for lor exam example pit the tho blankets These arc aro woven by the squaws of the the tribe I have one hero which depicts the history of either cither a tribe or a a. great family The hc center is is a rectangle from the cc center ter of which radiate four bars bar to the corners At tho the ends of these ba bars rs are ara smaller maller squares and outside these theM squares squares are strange strenge designs which arouse C curiosity Tins This blanket tell the I story of a tube or a great falu family ly- ly most lost likely the lormer The The great gr great at square quare represents the earth with It its Iti II four corners or as the Indians say the the four winds The bars which ox- ox tend Irom the center of this to the c corners corners cor cor- r ners of the tho blanket represent t. t t the c ties tics of blood bood with the tho smaller divisions dl of the family amily Outside of the area protected pro by these squares arid and tho the bars are the peculiar desi designs ns which represent dells or evil il spirits which are arc not permitted to break the tics of blood or orto orto orto I to weaken ealen the tribe or family The I whole story is it plainly told of tho the great spread of this family or tribe throughout through through- out the tile world that was known to them and of the fidelity which they m main maintained in tamed to the rest of the tribe or family It also denotes that the tribe or family was powerful ul else it could not have extended to such remote points as tho the I four corners of the earth Many Str Strange Designs I There are art man many designs used by the Na which arouse arous the keenest curiosity of the estl investigator ator and stu stu- tu- tu I dent Take for example tho swastika or handled cross This is identical in form and construction with the Hin jim doo cross Where here did the time Indians get fet it How was it brou brought ht to this tins continent continent continent conti conti- I nent And a discussion of the symbol of the cross eross in their art hrin brings s to mind another question Lon Long before the Spaniards landed Jandel I in Mexico the Indians had nad as a prominent prominent nent feature in in their artistic designs the time true handled bandIed cross of two parts an I upright ht and a horizontal of equal len length th crossed in the middle This is s the earliest form of cross known in in Asiatic art Where did they get et is is' is The The torture cross or as it is known today the Christian cross did not enter tho the field of Navajo art until after tho time I landing of Cortez Cortex who introduced it to the nat natives nates es The advent of this cross into the field of nat native nate e art marks an epoch in the history of the Indians It Itis Itis itis is pictured in man many of their designs of the older patterns In their blanket weaving a peculiar characteristic is noted No two blanket blankets blan blan- ket are ever made exactly alike Ea Each h tells its tale talc of family history tribal record the perils penis and nd triumphs of the hunt or of war and the other features that go o to the making of human history Another feature is that in no genuine genuino Navajo Indian blanket are both ends alike The same sam may I I Ibe bo be carried earled out in each end but tIme the weaving is is different and the tho designs I are the same game This is not a matt matter r of chance carelessness or accident If they have ha sufficient knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- ed edge e of geometry and mechanics to I weave one end accurately to a geometrical cal design n. n that knowledge would enable them to do the same with time the other Why is is this this' What is the design desin or mot motive motO O which underlies this 1 Indian R Reasoning From the best information which h has yet been bren obtained from their secret councils which but few white men have ever vcr seen and heard this is explained by the squaws vs who say The Great Spirit has not made two leaves of the cottonwood alike No two by the tho Great Spirit are alike If It I I make Inako both ends of the blanket alike I Iam Iam am greater than tho the Great Spirit I Imil will mil be blinded for my mv presumption for I am not greater than the Great Spirit The The best hest authorities in Indian lore lorea a agree re that the secured their knowledge of blanket weaving from the Pueblos with whom today it is virtually vir vir- a lost art There is it color harmony in the designs do- do signs of these blankets as is tho the case with all Navajo blankets There Thero is never what hat artists term discord in colors The colors used also have hava their symbolical meaning Red is the tho male color it at also represent fire Black is the female color and represents represent's time the earth This Thil is an inviolable rule and applies to all aU the tho workmanship of the tribe The silver workers also carry out ont the records in their handicraft The work before the advent of commercialism commercial urn ism ism wu was ays done with a flint the silver brin being cut away to desi design n with this material And Anti while the most exquisite ex cx- work was done i it was necessarIly ily crude The serpent is IS venerated iu in inthe the reli religion ion and superstition of the time Xa ajos and forms an SIn important t ft feature fee fea ture in mu their decorative art There are ue many tribes that never ne kill tho the rattlesnake rattlesnake rattle rattle- snake condition Many Indians In Jn diana are also abo declared by hy students ts to tobe tobe tobe be immune from the tho bite bih of these rep rep- tiles Wh Why is this Whence 1 spring these beliefs belleb and s superstitions that recall to mind the lifting up tip of the serpent by bv the thA children of Israel 1 Who I tan can answer these questions As AI the Mexicans say raJ Quien sabo which literally lit lit- literally orally translated means I do lio not know and and if I do not know to wb whom ns m is it iten given en to know These are arc a few of the puzzles that I the anthropological ica students of the world have haTe been hern endeavoring to answer answer an an- for many years Tb The solution still seems to be hI fa far off nfl but slowly and at t remote intervals the Indian India r reserve lIene is ill broken down for an instant and we get glimpse of their inner inner Ii life fl which reI reveal reveal re re- re- re veal many strange and undreamed of I thin things s. s |