Page 103 - TheHopiIndians

MESA FOLK OF HOPILAXD 95

where they are used to contain prayer-sticks, meal,
etc. Appropriately the women's ceremonies display
many baskets on the altars, and in the public dances
each woman carries a bright plaque. One of the
episodes of these ceremonies is full of action when
women throw baskets to men who struggle energetical
ly for them. On this account these ceremonies have
been called Basket Dances.
One of the frequent sights in a Hopi town is a
woman carrying a heaped-up plaque of meal of her
own grinding as a present to some friend. This usual
ly happens on the eve of a ceremony, like our Christ
mas gifts, but no one must fail to notice that an equal
present is religiously brought in return.
The Hopi value their baskets ; they appreciate fully
a pretty thing, and this explains why one of the Sicho-
niovi men, who is rich in Harasupai baskets, has had
the good taste to decorate the walls of the best room of
his house with these trophies of Cataract Canyon.
Judging from the number of ruins in the Southwest,
it might be thought that the former inhabitants spent
much of their time in laying up walls and considered
the work easy. What these ruins do show in an em
phatic way is the organization of the builders and
what mutual aid will accomplish.
Dismiss the idea of the modern architect, builder,
laborers, brick makers, planing mill hands, plumbers,
etc., combining to get ready a dwelling for a family,
and substitute in their place all the Indian relatives,