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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1930)
The CHEMAWA AMERICAN Page 4 THE NAVAJO RAIN MAKERS By PETER PAQUETTE. Sophomore Dudley Williams is a well educated Navajo Indian of New Mexico. He attended school at Grand Junc tion, Colorado, and after he had finished the course, he decided to return to his own reservation rather than to adopt the white man's mode of living. There after, Dudley Williams became a great Medicine Man. During the earlier part of the summer of 1929, the weather in the Navajo country was exceedingly hot and the Indians suffered from heat and drought. Everything pointed to a total crop loss and herds of stock were dying from the weather and from the lack of grass on the usual grazing grounds. Dudley Wil liams called a council of all the leading men among the Navajos because it was necessary to come to some conclusion concerning what might be done to provide water and food for families and stock. As a result, six of the oldest and wisest Medicine Men (among whom was Dudley Williams himself) were chosen to pray for rain. Three Medicine Men were instructed to proceed to the top of a certain mountain and the other three to another mountain located one hundred and fifty miles away. All were supplied with precious stones as offer- • ings, along with the prayers, to the Rain God. Going, as they did, in opposite directions, assured that the ’ rain would be precipitated into a valley extending from t north to south. This would take care of the entire res ervation. Rain should have come four days after the prayers and gifts were offered to the Rain God, but the four days passed and no rain resulted. The disappointed Navojos concluded that the Medicine Men were not praying seriously or reverently, so six men were 1 thereafter stationed on the mountaintops. Four days jater, the first rain came and it was a deluge! Bridges were washed out, railroad beds were ruined, Navajo crops were destroyed and Navajo stock was drowned by herds! Even then there was no cessation of rain— it fell at least once or twice a week until the first of October. And now—the entire Navajo tribe is perfectly sure • that those Medicine Men are too powerful! Those poor ; fellows are censured for all of the destruction caused by the rains, and Dudley Williams, of course, is bear ing most of the blame, since he is the greatest of them all! ESCORTS - Mr. Ratzburg Miss Peterson Winona............................ Mrs. Mote Mr. Berry Hawley ------ Mr. James Mrs. James .. Sun., Feb. 23—McBride - - - CHEMAWA WINS THREE We have a much happier job making a report of athletic events this week. We won three contests out of three played, and all by decisive scores. In the first game oa Monday evening, Feb. 10th, we defeated Dallas high school here by the score of 30 to 16. In this game Vivette lead the scoring with 10 points. The second game for our first team, held here last Wednesday evening, also resulted in a victory for the Chemawa eagers. This time the score was 31 to 15. Marsden tore loose in this game and, for the first time since our initial contest against Andersen’s, actu ally played up to his ability, scoring 14 points, pass ing the ball and performing under the basket in fine style. The third game of the week was a preliminary to the above game in which “B” teams from Woodburn and Chemawa staged a lively little contest, our young cassabatossers coming out ahead 21-15. Dog Eagle was high man with 14 points. All these were return games and were welcome vic tories in view of the fact that in the former contests we came out second best. The Chemawa team dis played poise and confidence on the floor during the past week that was a delight to see. Few wild throws were made and faking and passing was smoothly and cleverly excuted by all members of the team. The “high point’’ men are to be congratulated on accu rate shooting but the little crosses opposite their names were due in a large measure to constant “feeding” of the other four hard-working members of the quintet. Miller at guard has bolstered our defense considera bly. It goes without saying, however, that much of the improvement reported is due to the presence back on the team of Jesse Prettyman who, by the way, is faster and more dangerous than ever this year. Prettyman and Simmons, forwards; Marsden, center; and Vivette, Miller and Smith, guards, played in the games and worked very well together in putting us into the winning column. Even the little fellows have tired of losing. Wit ness the victory of our Scouts over the Pioneers of Salem, 30-19, Saturday afternoon here and the massa cre here Sunday afternoon of the McCarthy’s church team by “Goose-Egg’s” Ramblers, 48 to 12. Everyone enjoyed the presence of the band at the games. An account of the Williamette freshman-Chemawa game, played last night, will appear in the next issue.
