82 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 34 



habits. Possibly in former years the children, brought up in times 

 of unrest, were carried about much more than they are to-day, being 

 thus less likely to acquire the deformation. 



The Navaho and Pueblo '^ infants also are carried on cradle boards. 

 The Navaho appliance consists of one or more, fre(iuently two, boards, 

 to the sides of which are attached leather strings, with which the 

 child, wrapped in cloths or a buckskin, is fastened. A layer of cedar 

 bark or of other soft substances and pieces of fabric cover the 

 boards. Under the shoulders of the child is placed by some a soft, 

 oblong cushion or fold "to make the child straight." Under the 

 head is another cushion or fold, most often made of calico, not hard, 

 yet firmer than a feather or a wool pillow. This somewhat rigid sur- 

 face undoubtedly aids in producing the occipital flattening, which is 

 found frequently, and often in a high degree, in the tribe. The child 

 is strapped on the board tight enough not to be able to turn on its 

 side, with the result that whenever the cradle board is inclined or 

 placed horizontally some part of the occiput of the child is in contact 

 with the head cushion. The infant undoubtedly acquires a habit of 

 lying in a certain position, either straight on the occiput or a little 

 to one side, and a flattening of the part habitually compressed results. 

 Most of the occipital compressions found among the Navaho, as well 

 as elsewhere are more or less unilateral. They are, the writer is 

 satisfied, not the result of any inherent or acf[uired weakness of the 

 skull. On examination no weakness of the occiput was detected in 

 any case, and there is no rachitis as yet in this or in any other of 

 the southwestern tribes visited. 



As elsewhere, the occipital compression is found more frequently, 

 and on the average more pronounced, in the male among the Navaho. 



As to any intentional deformation in this tribe, most of the women 

 questioned in this matter did little more in response than laugh. 

 One older woman said that the Navaho "do not like a head that 

 protrudes behind," illustrating the words with her hands. 



The occipital compression of the Apache, the Navaho, and the 

 modern Pueblos is identical with that found among other tri])es in 

 Arizona, the ancient Pueblos,'' some of the prehistoric cliff-dwellers, 

 and among the so-called "mound-builders." This characteristic 

 feature occurred among tribes extending in prehistoric times over a 

 very large part of our present Southern states, almost the whole of 

 northern Mexico and other parts of North America, as well as 

 over certain areas in Central and South America. 



a At Laguna, San Felipe, and other pueblos the child is laid in its cradle soon after it is washed 

 and is kept there nearly all the time during the first two or three months. After that it is taken out 

 several times each day. 



f' When some of the Laguna and San F(!lipe Pueblos were questioned as to the cause of the fonner 

 frequent occurrence among them of occipital compression they replied that long ago they used harder 

 head cushions, not ha' ing materials so soft as are available to-day. 



