od and water from the valley, and
to range over the surrounding _mesas_ in the hunt. Gradually they
stole down out of the cliffs to live in the valleys and built large
communal houses, many of which now are in existence in this territory.

{195}

These people have several centres of civilization which are similar in
general, but differ in many particulars. They are classed as Pueblo
Indians. Among these centres are the Hopi Indians, the Zunian, Taoan,
Shoshonean, and many others.[1] The pre-history of these widely
extended groups of Indians is not known, but in all probability they
have been crowded into this southwest arid region by warlike tribes,
and for the shelter and protection of the whole tribe have built large
houses of stone or adobe. The idea of protection seems to have been
the dominant one in building the cliff houses and the adobe houses of
the plain. The latter were entered by means of ladders placed upon the
wall, so that they could ascend from one story to another. The first
story had no doors or windows, but could be entered by means of a
trap-door.

The Pueblos were, as a rule, people of low stature, but of an
intelligent and pleasing appearance. They dressed in cotton goods or
garments woven from the fibre of the yucca plant, or from coarse bark,
and later, under Spanish rule, from specially prepared wool. Their
feet were protected by sandals made from the yucca, or moccasins from
deer or rabbit skins. Leggings coming above the knee were formed by
wrapping long strips of buckskin around the leg. The women and men
dressed very much alike. The women banged their hair to the eyebrows,
allowing it to hang loosely behind, although in some instances maidens
dressed their hair with two large whirls above the ears. The Zuni
Indians practised this custom after the coming of the Spaniards.

The Pueblos were well organized into clans, and descent in the female
line was recognized. The clans were divided usually into the north,
south, east, and west clans by way of designation, showing that the
communal idea had been established with recognition of government by
locality. Here, as elsewhere among the American aborigines, the clans
were named after the animals chosen as their totem, but there were in
addition {196} to these ordinary clans, the Sun clan, the Live Oak, the
Turquoise, or others named from objects of nature. Each group of clans
was governed by a priest chief, who had authority in