Eugene register-guard., June 20, 1937, Image 21

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fy-Som Gr i?enr To Primitive
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,r.Dv CIVILIZATION has broucht little
ly( 'opines the n,lia' tribes of the
V '. ..hi. h find more contentment In ie-
... the activities of cities and following the
customs of their ancestors.
-pjraJise for th? first Americans." says
"ful CitV-OOrn Vienna iujan, niemoer 01
r Taos tribe in New Mexico, "lies down the
I , road that leads through the wild roses
F' Ll.mng In the In Vend, r.t i M t nl nlai
pl'jm L'lUSW""
-js of our own people.
it of the Indians today is as colorful, as
L urtsquf and as rcal and romantic as it ever
U- Slerina declares.
5(,mt have the idea that because Indians
' infill J, A ;y u !
1 ' i A
don't have radios, electric liphts and such thines.
their life is exceedingly dull, primitive and filled
with hardships.
"But the joys fnr outweigh the hardships in
Taos whore the thrill of the great outdoors and
the romance of the old West surges through
your veins. There's action - horseback riding,
rope spinning, bucking broncos and natural
rodeos. There are cream-colored ponies on
which to rule.
"Happiness is found in the beautiful tribal
dances and picturesque ceremonies. There's the
Green Corn Dance of the summer in mid-June
when prayers are offered so that crops will be
good. Then conies the mid-September dance
the Blue Lake Dance which is most important.
This takes ten days to perform, and is done
2 ) miles within the hills far bevond the range
of prying eyes.
"Besides dancing the Taos Indians find hap
piness in singing They r.re great singers and
often sing for hours at a time, oftentimes when
they are working. Every night, in summer as
well as winter, the men
gather on the old log
bridge that crosses a sil-
Life Of Ancestors
Jazz is. for there is neither a radio nor a phono
graph in the pueblo.
"As a rule the men are the singers, and the
women listeners."
The thrill of the hunt adds happiness to life
in Taos. too. Merina Lujan points out.
"There are times each year when every able
bodied tribesman mounts a horse and with the
use of only a bow and arrow or a boomerang
club, joins in the rabbit hunt. Those who do
not go are fined heavily, but they all seem to
like it and join in the fun."
Life with the Indians is complete, though
simple, and Is tilled with happiness. The Taos
tribe has lived in comparative comfort for
many hundreds of years in the pueblos. They
were In New Mexico when the Spaniards first
discovered the territory in the Sixteenth Cen
tury. Merina declares Besides, she points out.
the Indians have the protection of the CIreat
White Father.
The Taos tribe occupies two pueblos, one
called the North Pueblo and the other the South
Pueblo, which provide
quarters for about SOO In
dians. A wall surrounds
both pueblos.
w7vvJ i,m' trie.
The Little Indian Hoy at the Left Should
Be Raised in the Manner of lis Fore
fathers and Not as White Men Are, Ac
cording to Merina Lujan. Indian Hducator.
Old Buildings of the Taos Indians
Are Shown Above.
very creek near the pueblos and sing for hours
to the accompaniment of drum and reed flutes.
"They have sonjis for every occasion, includ
ing songs for social dances, ceremonial dances,
war dances and others. The Taos Indians have
many songs and a good singer knows literally
dozens.
"Of course, the boys and girls who go to
government Indian schools know some Knglish
songs, but one never hears them sing in the
pueblo Many of the Indians do not know what
"One reason for happiness in the Taos In
dians today." Merina Lujan believes, "lies in
the fact thai women have a voice not only in
the homes but also in the tribal government as
well.
"Women of the Taos are different from
women of many Indian tribes. In our pueblos
the women do not do all of the drudgery while
the men make war. eat and play. Work is di
vided. "The men do the men's work and the women
the women's thus both are happier."
Merina Lujan. who each year loves to play
"Injun." has been given n beautiful tribal name
that suits her type of fair-skinned Indian beauty.
The name is "Popshales" or "Blue Flower."
which characterizes her happy life in the open.
She is nearly a full-blooded Indian. Her
father. Joseph Cruz Lujan, is full-blooded. To
day, after an excellent education, she is devot
ing as much of hoi time ar. possible to obtain
full legal and educational rights for hor people,
without interference with their customs and
tribal rites. In the winter she lives In the city
where she works in behalf of her people her
victories spurring her on to greater activity
lectures, writings and addresses. The goal of
her life work ih full legal and educational rights
for the Taos tribe of Indians.
In the summer she hurries hack to Taos to
play "Injun" and tind happiness.
"Much year I become eager to go back to
Taos," Merina confesses. "I want to take off
these high heels, put on my white buckskin
boots with the rawhide soles, a colored shawl
and a dancing skirt and go join in our tribal
councils and dances.
"I want to see men who wear their hair in
braids, and put (lowing shcet-hkc sashes alwml
their heads like Arabs, or about thoir waists,
Indian fashion.
"Buckskin boots have a real meaning in Taos,
land of happiness. They serve as a sort of
wedding and engagement gift among the In
dians. They are the invariable gift of the groom
to the bride, and no other women but those of
tin Taos tribe wear such boots."
Home life in the pueblos Is a happy one.
They are communal dwellings of clay, rough
Merina Lujan, City-Born Indian Girl
Shown I lere With l iving ( loud, Htuls
Life W ith the Primitive Indians Happier
Than That of Modern ( i ili.uion.
In outside appearance, and live stories in height.
When hist built the lower stones had no doors
or windows. This was for protection against
enemy tribes on the war path.
Access was made to the interior by means of
ladders which could he drawn tip by those in
side. Now. however, doors and windows have
been installed, and the dwellings are quite mod
ern In other respects much like the home of
the white man's npartment house in arrange
ment. Kvery thing at Taos is done in the old way
as much as possible, especially during the cere
monies and tribal dances when the days of
yesterday come to life and Indians are their
happiest. At this time everything suggestive of
modern manners Is banished.
Automobiles and wagons, for example, are not
allowed by the tribe while the rites are in
progress.
The romance of the Indians and the wild life
of the olden days has an attraction which is
dIMlcult to explain to those unfamiliar with llfo
in Taos.
Merina is married and has two children, Kon
fuua I Black Murrain I and Papina (lied Klowerl.
Kofuna and Papina will join In these dance.1
when they grow older, for they are being
brought up In the land of Tuna and happiness.
mrliners Have All Conveniences Found In European Planes
rHE unpaiallcled $15,000,000 program the
"viatinn industry has planned for 1M7. not
t v stresses scientific aids to navigation, more
"rfu! planes and safety devices of the latest
r-"r. according to engineers, but is also taking
' ' consideration the maximum degree of com
"for passengers. A new luxury ship, the first
'afare plane in the world, is now riding the
LTays between Chicago and New York. All
mmiorts of home at 100 miles per hour is
f ' ay in which officials of the airline describe
1 suprlative new giant of the skies.
j England and Kurope. experts declare, lux
"' tas ahvavs been held nf naramount impor-
r"" by Mane builders, hut our own airlines.
''! due t longer distances to be covered in
-scentiner.tal Mights, have placed speed and
' ability df maintaining schedules ahead of
glistered case.
Mother element lies in the fact that present
'-sine speeds attained bv the latest types of
being introduced here are probably as
lA M is useful at the altitudes that can be
" ith safety and economy until stratos
"f flying becomes something more than an
""Hors hvam.
j as only a half dozen years ago that the
' Planes had cabins that were neither heated
' ur-cor ationeil. seats that were built as
's?Lv as possible, and cabins weie designed to
" the la: zest passenger load, irrespective of
",'p.-i:ei to the passengers Knees num
earying trip.
'-"t aa.i
:r,w"i with the time they saved, and so
'-ar.ted with their new experience, that a
' "i e ramped muscles would be overcome
thnils.
ir travel has become routine, as set-
vement has advanced, the fatigue
a:ti iiiarly with men who tie busy
- r by a plane "Jump." has become
I 'he clear brain needed in the enn
! ' tnt afairs
' i.- m." say aviatmn experts, "the
; : is of particular interest It is
:'. atior.s as to interior equipment
re powerful motors than any ""her
li.'.n. horsepower, H-cylinder twin-
has only 14 scats installed in the
r irily areorded 21 on other daytime
- s.ats are ri-eply upholstered and
movant hassocks and down pil-
sw iveleii to any deir d p !'
' 1'" inches from the cabin 11 ehrn
r;!l:r.g or sense of vib'. t'"m
"There is room for a bridge table between any
four adioinine chairs, or two ran be swung
around to fare each other for a game of back
gammon, chess, rheckers. or cribbage during
flight.
"The skyloungcs are equipped with a specially
designed galley, miniature in size, but so clev
erly arranged that the stewardess can serve
more elaborate meals, which can include several
varieties of food in the main course and Ice
cream for dessert.
"Attractive china takes the place of the old
paper plates, and silver utensils replace the for
mer picnic gadgets. The napkins are of im
ported linen.
"For repairing minor ravages nf the trip,
there are also complimentary beauty kits, done
up in neat rubberized zipper bags, for the ladies,
and shaving outfits, similarly attired, for the
men. who may also have the use of an electric
razor.
,,.HK principal evidence of luxury, however,
I is space space to move about In: space in
which in lounge at full length if desired the
primary attribute of comfort and the one least
often to he found in flying.
"Interior measurements of the cabins are '..
feet in height. 26 feet in length, and more than
7 feet in width
These ships will be something like a luxuri
ous train of the air: they will compare In their
fittings with anything any foreign airline ran
offer if not exceed them, and they will do it at
a speed of from 30 to 40 miles an hour In excess
of any other country's transport schedules "
And from another source comes a story indi
c-uing the great strides of commercial via '.inn
Sourdoughs in Alaska are taking airplanes the se
cV.vs insfad of mushing .logs over hundreds of
miles of frozen tundra instances like Juneau
to Fairlnks. 47.'. miles in 4', hours, fare. Jl".
Manv aviation schools hardly know how to k. c,.
up with enrollments of those who want to learn
to fly.
vrr-aft mimifa'i.irers m "'n cases have
.,-b hesvv pr.du.tion schedules to lake car. of
sc'ual ord'ts that thev are struggling with a
shortage of trained workers These are some of
the reasons F.ugen- Vidal. former director of the
ureau of Air Commerce, had for saying that
he aviation industry has no. reached its peak.
Ln.l whv be believes it will take a long jump
stead in 1-.17 with considerable llkel,hcx,d that
,.,'e year ill pr-lure the approximation of the
r'-V airplane that ha, been looked to as he
key to evervman s flyir.g in the I nited .States
Vida! ma le r ".r'is in irn
h got him a pla e on All-
American mythical team, lie was an army ace
during the World War, and. later, when a large
aviation company was looking for technicians.
It chose him for a big Job In those days avi
ators were looked upon as daring young men.
Vidal went to the I 'nited Stales Hurcau of Air
Commerce with an enviable background and a
veteran nf long pioneering experience. The first
step in expanding air travel Is a comprehensive
system of efficient airports and. during the last
few years, by co. operating with CWA. l'WA
and WPA officials, he saw hundreds of existing
airports improved, and hundieds of new land
ing fields built.
THK air marking of towns alone has been one
of the mctst needed jobs in the history of
civil aviation in the I'niled Slates, and the fact
thnt women pilots were made eligible to carry
through such work In ro-opeiation with local
V7- ' ' v'-jl4
w 'C2
. s a" iV.,
r' ' : V I
The Htm hxtra Tare I'ldnc in the World (top), 11 if Iktwccn (.hu .;. and New
York. An Interior View of the Luxurious Airliner .Show? the Spjtincv of the C.ihin.
At West I "
n-I football wh
officials and slate and r-gional government bu
reau representatives chalks up the country as
ahead of practical aviation In the way of gainful
occupation in connection with air transjMtrt
It was estimated by Vidal that while there
are a f-w over l'loo aitlin" pilots in the fnited
Stat.-s at i.r'i-r.t there av more than 1' 'XW
'her piU4 Hi s many
.Vi.'KKi student
pilots. While the number of airline airplanes is
less than W)0. there are mole thrill "OOO lic ensed
civil plan.'S of other kinds
The airplane Is still a "hand made" means of
transportation There is no good reason. Vidal
states, why It should not be developed In volume
in the comparatively near future, under a sys
tem whbh will make It no more costly to build
than the moderalc-pricrd automobile, with every
prospect thai such an airplane would la- oper
ated at about the cost of operating an automo
bile In the same price class today
An enabling act has been passed to allow the
Bureau of Air Commerce to co-operat" in alr
ciaft design, looking to the day of the so . ailed
"flivver'' type airplane, and a half dozen or so
of the Inst feature.! that have aheady been de
signed with this type ship In view are under
consideration for inclusion In a "fool-proof"
composite.
The whole question ,,f air travel safety re
ceived an Interesting sidelight recently when a
fog and temporary loss of the beam brought
one of the most experienced and famous pilots
In Ihe country up against a winded hillside with
the wings of the ship sheared off but every pas
senger right side up and m good shape-.
If the country were not placing increasing
confidence In the whole Idea of flying, then
would have been wholesale cancellations of
tickets for the flights on that line for the next
few days Not only was there not a single can
cellation, but extra nights had to be put on to
take care of the people who wanted to fly.
Suc h events caused Hureau IMrector Vidal to
say air transport Is undergoing no artificial
prospeiity. no overnight boom, but la coming
Into its own as a sensible, ably-managed and
economical means of travel.
uter skin of the ship
Q