YARROW. ] INHUMATION—INDIANS OF TAOS. 101 
GRAVE BURIAL. 
The following interesting account of burial among the Pueblo In- 
dians of San Geronimo de Taos, New Mexico, furnished by Judge An- 
thony Joseph, will show in a manner how civilized customs have he- 
come engrafted upon those of a more barbaric nature. It should be re- 
membered that the Pueblo people are next to the Cherokees, Choctaws, 
and others in the Indian Territory, the most civilized of our tribes. 
According to Judge Joseph, these people call themselves Wee-ka-nahs. 
These are commonly known to the whites as Piros. The manner of burial by these 
Indians, both ancient and modern, as far as I can ascertain from information ob- 
tained from the most intelligent of the tribe, is that the body of the dead is and has 
been always buried in the ground in a horizontal position with the flat bottom of the 
grave. The grave is generally dug out of the ground in the usual and ordinary man- 
ner, being about 6 feet deep, 7 feet long, and about 2 feet wide. It is generally 
finished after receiving its occupant by being leveled with the hard ground around 
it, never leaving, as is customary with the whites, a mound to mark the spot. This 
tribe of Pueblo Indians never cremated their dead, as they do not know, even by tradi- 
tion, that it was ever done or attempted. There are no utensils or implements placed 
in the grave, but there are a great many Indian ornaments, such as beads of all colors, 
sea-shells, hawk-bells, round looking-glasses, and a profusion of ribbons of all imagin- 
able colors; then they paint the body with red vermilion and white chalk, giving it a 
most fantastic as well as ludicrous appearance. Theyalso place a variety of food in the 
grave as a wise provision for its long journey to the happy hunting-ground beyond the 
clouds, 
The funeral ceremonies of this tribe are very peculiar. First, after death, the body 
is laid out on a fancy buffalo robe spread out on the ground, then they dress the body 
in the best possible manner in their style of dress; if a male, they put on his beaded 
leggins and embroidered saco, and his fancy dancing-moccasins, and his large brass or 
shell ear-rings; if a female, they put on her best manta or dress, tied around the 
waist with a silk sash, put on her feet her faney dancing-moccasins; her rosario around 
her neck, her brass or shell ear-rings in her ears, and with her tressed black hair tied up 
withred tape or ribbon, this completes her wardrobe for her long and happy chase. When 
they get through dressing the body, they place abont a dozen lighted candles around 
it, and keep them burning continually until the body is buried. As soon as the can- 
dies are lighted, the veloris, or wake, commences; the body lies in state for about twenty- 
four hours, and in that time all the friends, relatives, and neighbors of the deceased 
or “‘difunti” visit the wake, chant, sing, and pray for the sonl of the same, and tell 
one another of the good deeds and traits of valor and courage manifested by the de- 
ceased during his earthly career, and at intervals in their praying, singing, &c., 
some near relative of the deceased will step up to the corpse and every person in the 
room commences to cry bitterly and express aloud words of endearment to the deceased 
and of condolence to the family of the same in their untimely bereavement. 
At about midnight supper is announced, and every person in attendance marches 
out into another room and partakes of a frugal Indian meal, generally composed of 
wild game; Chilé colorado or red-pepper tortillas, and guayayes, with a good supply 
of mush and milk, which completes the festive board of the veloris or wake. When 
the deceased is in good circumstances, the crowd in attendance is treated every little 
while during the wake to alcoholic refreshments. This feast and feasting is kept 
up until the Catholic priest arrives to perform the funeral rites, 
