hem of their
undeserved humiliation.

They are a highly religious people worshiping after their own creed,
and are sincere and conscientious in their devotions. Almost
everything they do has some religious significance and every day its
religious observance. Their religion satisfies them and harms no one,
then why not leave them in peace? We believe that we can benefit them,
which is doubtless true, but might they not also teach us some useful
lessons? It would sometimes be more to our credit if we were less
anxious to teach others, and more willing to learn ourselves.

Next to their religion they love their homes most. The rocks upon
which they live, are they not dear from associations? Is it not the
land of their birth and the home of their fathers during many
generations? They cling with stubborn tenacity to their barren mesas
and nothing thus far has succeeded in driving them away; neither war,
pestilence nor famine. Repeated attempts have been made to induce them
to leave, but without success.

Tom Polaki, the principal man of Tewa, was the first man to respond to
the call to come down. He left the mesa several years ago, and went to
the plain below to live. Having captured the bell wether it was
presumed that the balance of the flock would soon follow, but the
contrary proved to be true. At the foot of the bluff near a spring on
the road that leads up to the gap Tom built a modern house and tried to
imitate the white man. But the change did not suit him, and after
living in his modern house for a number of years, he finally sold it
and returned to his old home on the mesa. A few others at different
times have tried the same experiment with no better success. The man
would stay for a short time in the house provided for him, but never
made it a permanent home for his family.

That the Moquis are changing is best illustrated by reference to one of
their marriage customs. It is the custom when a youth contemplates
matrimony to make a marriage blanket. He grows the cotton, spins the
yarn and weaves the cloth, which requires a year or more of time to
finish. Since the children have gone to school it is not deemed
necessary for a young man to go to so much trouble and expense as to
make a marriage blanket, but instead, he borrows one from a friend in
the village, and after the ceremony is over returns it to the owner.
Even now it is not easy to find such a blanket, and very soon they will
be pricel