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Performing Archive

Navaho

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On account of the comparative inaccessibility of its site on Rio Jemez, a westerly affluent of the Rio Grande, Jemez is annoyed by fewer white visitors than almost any other pueblo. The reticence and the mental sluggishness of its inhabitants do not encourage the ethnologist. The Jemez played a leading part in the rebellion of 1680 and were so severely punished by Vargas that their preference for isolation is comprehensible. They have long been intimate with the Navaho and considerable racial mixture has resulted.
Paguate is the oldest and largest of ten villages subsidiary to Laguna, the patent pueblo of this group. It appears to have been founded about the middle of the eighteenth century. Laguna itself dates from 1699. The two-story structure at the right, one of the two oldest buildings at Paguate, was a watchtower erected for the defense of the farming population from the roving Navaho, who disputed possession of this locality.
Painting on brain tanned deerskin. The skin is an off white/grayish color. The paintings on the skin are yellow, brown, white, blue, green, black, orange and red. Various figures are painted on the skin which include, moons, equal sided crosses or "x", 3 anthropomorphic figures, one human head, a bird, and circles. There is a zig zag design the goes around the perimeter of the skin. There is a 1 cm wide hole in the skin in the lower left quadrant. The edges of the skin are fairly straight and smooth, indicating it was cut/trimmed to a roughly rectangular shape. The hide painting appears to be the same one illustrated in "Sacred buckskin - Apache", plate facing page 31, in The North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907. See pp. 29-35 for explanatory text, where it is identified as a medicine skin formerly owned by Navajo medicine man Hashke Nilnte, and acquired by Curtis from Hashke Nilnte's wife. The symbolism is then outlined in detail in the publication.View this plate online here: http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00000074.p&volume=1#nav .
Painting on brain tanned deerskin. The skin is an off white/grayish color. The paintings on the skin are yellow, brown, white, blue, green, black, orange and red. Various figures are painted on the skin which include, moons, equal sided crosses or "x", 3 anthropomorphic figures, one human head, a bird, and circles. There is a zig zag design the goes around the perimeter of the skin. There is a 1 cm wide hole in the skin in the lower left quadrant. The edges of the skin are fairly straight and smooth, indicating it was cut/trimmed to a roughly rectangular shape. The hide painting appears to be the same one illustrated in "Sacred buckskin - Apache", plate facing page 31, in The North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907. See pp. 29-35 for explanatory text, where it is identified as a medicine skin formerly owned by Navajo medicine man Hashke Nilnte, and acquired by Curtis from Hashke Nilnte's wife. The symbolism is then outlined in detail in the publication. View this plate online here: http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00000074.p&volume=1#nav .
Painting on brain tanned deerskin. The skin is an off white/grayish color. The paintings on the skin are yellow, brown, white, blue, green, black, orange and red. Various figures are painted on the skin which include, moons, equal sided crosses or "x", 3 anthropomorphic figures, one human head, a bird, and circles. There is a zig zag design the goes around the perimeter of the skin. There is a 1 cm wide hole in the skin in the lower left quadrant. The edges of the skin are fairly straight and smooth, indicating it was cut/trimmed to a roughly rectangular shape. The hide painting appears to be the same one illustrated in "Sacred buckskin - Apache", plate facing page 31, in The North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907. See pp. 29-35 for explanatory text, where it is identified as a medicine skin formerly owned by Navajo medicine man Hashke Nilnte, and acquired by Curtis from Hashke Nilnte's wife. The symbolism is then outlined in detail in the publication. View this plate online here: http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00000074.p&volume=1#nav .
Cap. Seamed buckskin cap; is a light tan color. There is a chin strap attached to the bottom of the cap that is made of a single strip of skin. One side of the cap has a carved piece of abalone in the shape of a cross or an "x". The abalone is attached with a piece of thin skin wrapped in sinew. There is also a white, circular shell on top of the abalone. On the opposite of the cap, there is the same type of white shell in a rectangular shape attached to the cap with a thin piece of skin wrapped in sinew. At the end of this thread, the remains of a feather are present. The keratin center of the feather is all that remains. The painting on the cap, on the side with the abalone shell, depicts a human figure in a geometric/triangular design in brown and yellow. Underneath the figure, on the bottom of the cap, a repeating triangular design in yellow and brown is present. Above the figure on the top of the cap, a blue, flowing design is present, perhaps representing water (?). On the opposite side of the cap, with the rectangular white shell and feather, the same human figure is present, this time, painted in blue and brown. Underneath the figure is the same triangular design in brown and yellow, as well as a boat shaped figure in blue and brown. Above the figure is a zig zag design, starting from the top of the hat, coming down to the figure, possibly representing lightning (?). The top of the cap is painted with brown and yellow stripes. The cap appears to be the same one illustrated, along with bag and figure # E432868, in "Medicine cap and fetich - Apache", plate facing page 40, in The North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907. See pp. 40-41 for explanatory text. View this plate online here: http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00000089.p&volume=1#nav .
Cap. Seamed buckskin cap. Light tan color with a yellow stripe that is painted or dyed down the center seam. There are eight sinew wrapped feathers on the top of the cap. The barbs of the feathers are missing, leaving the hard keratin center. Glass beads line the bottom in a diagonal, repeating black, white, black, white pattern. In the center of the cap, a cross or x on top of crescent moon (?) is depicted. There is chin strap connected to the cap made of two thin strips of skin twisted together. There is a tag attached to the object that reads "Apache See Vol 1 NAS page 42. 194, 10" . This possibly refers to p. 42 inThe North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907? The second paragraph on p. 42 discusses the crescent and cross motif that is on this hat, with origin discussion continuing in text to p. 44.
Pouch. The buckskin pouch is rectangular shaped with a long strap on the top, three bundles of fringe on the bottom, and a triangular flap to close the pouch. The purse fastens with a carved button made out of a white, shiny shell. There are two pieces of abalone and white, circular shells, each attached to lower right and left corners of the pouch with skin wrapped in sinew. The strap of the pouch is two strips of thin skin, twisted. A triangular design, painted in brown, lines the bottom of the flap that closes the pouch. Beneath that, an orange triangular design is painted. On the sides, a dark blue design is painted. On the bottom of the pouch, a green, triangular design is painted. Around the abalone on the left, a blue and orange triangular design is painted. Around the abalone on the right, a green and orange design is painted. The fringe on the bottom of the pouch is painted green, but some of the pigment has come off. On the opposite side of the pouch, there are no designs painted. The construction of the pouch is one, longer piece of skin, folded, and then sewn with strips of skin on the sides. Amulet. The front side of the figure has smaller pieces of abalone for the eyes, nose and mouth. The abalone for the right eye is missing. The figure seems to be a human shape, with four triangles (two painted brown, and two painted green) on the top of the head, maybe a crown (?). The figure has cross figures in green and brown on it's face. The figure is painted with other various geometric designs in green, brown, orange, and blue. The back of the figure is also painted in blue brown, orange and green designs. Tag found in pouch says "Apache See NAS V 1 p 40, 193, 50" . The bag and figure appear to be the same ones illustrated, along with cap # E432866, in "Medicine cap and fetich - Apache", plate facing page 40, in The North American Indian (1907-1930) v.01, The Apache. The Jicarillas. The Navaho ([Seattle] : E.S. Curtis ; [Cambridge, Mass. : The University Press], 1907. See pp. 40-41 for explanatory text. View this plate online here: http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00000089.p&volume=1#nav .