A KAVAJO ARTIST AND HIS NOTIONS OF MECHANICAL 



DRAWING. 



By R. W. Siiufeldt. 



One of the best known sub-chiefs of the Navajo Indians in north- 

 western New Mexico is Mariano. This man controls a cami) of his people 

 some 20 miles from the military station of Fort Wiugate, which latter 

 place he frequently visits. His father was a notable chief before him, 

 and Mariano is highly respected for his sagacity and wise ruling among 

 the remnant of the tribe now under his sway. 



An eld er sister of his, known among the Navajos b the name of 

 Esta-yeshi, lives in one of the crudely constructed habitr ions built by 

 these people on the hill-sides close to the Government buildings of Fort 

 Wingate. Esta-yeshi, of whom we present an admirable portrait, is 

 exceedingly masculine in her tastes and instincts, even for a Navajo 

 woman, and when she came to have her picture taken she insisted upon 

 holding her revolver in one hand and steadying her favorite Winchester 

 beside her with the other. The Navajos say that this woman is one of 

 the best, if not the best, blanket weaver in the tribe, and many a time 

 have I watched her skillful weaving, with interest. Nor does she lack 

 intelligence in other respects, for she is often consulted in matters of no 

 little import in the tribe. 



Esta-yeshi has a grown son of about twenty-two or twenty-three 

 years of age, whom the Navajos call "Choh," which means some kind of 

 a bird, I believe. 



Choh had an unfortunate accident hai)pen to him as an infant. He 

 \^as strapped up, in the manner of all Navajo papooses, to his little 

 board in a thoroughly confined manner, and had been i^laced near a 

 smoldering camp-lire by his mother. Something or other tipped him 

 ovTr, face downwards in the hot ashes, and before any one could reach 

 him his face all about his mouth had become frightfully burned. The 

 scar from this has never left him, and his nose is nearly as flat as his 

 face to day. 



This Indian is one of the ever-to-be-seen characters about tlie garri- 

 son of Wingate. Usually he is extremely untidy in his api)earance and 

 awkward in his carriage. Indeed, with his eccentric movements and 

 great moppish head of hair and highly revolting features, many of the 

 children stand in great awe of the poor, disfigured fellow. 



He is by no means the stupid clown we would take him to be, how- 

 ever, upon first sight, as we will very soon see. 



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