14 



THE ZUNI INDIANS 



[ETH. ANN. 23 



ventured to descend to the valleys and to erect their dwc^lling-s upon 

 the ruins of the towns where their forefathers had lived; there they 

 at length regained their inheritance and reestablished their pueblos, 

 which still endure, although within the past few years they have been 

 rapidly changing under the influence of civilization. Thus was com- 

 pleted the cycle of vicissitudes in the history of these people — from 

 valle}^ to clifl', from clitf to mesa, and from mesa to valley again. The 

 Hopi villages of Arizona and Acoma of New Mexico are still on mesas, 

 but the people are gradually moving down into the valleys. 



Much has been done, but more remains to be accomplished, befoi'e 

 there can be hope of writing the history of the generations of men 



Fig. 1— Morning prayer to rising sun. 



whose records are found here and there on the can3^on walls of the 

 Southwest and whose traditions speak to us, however imperfectly, 

 through the people now living in the pueblos of that region. Among 

 the remnants of ancient tribes, the Zunis, whose extreme exclusive- 

 ness has preserved to them their strong individuality, ma}^ claim per- 

 haps the highest position, whether we regard simply their agricultural 

 and pastoral pursuits or consider their whole social and political 

 organization. 



The quest for happiness is universal, and in their endeavor to attain 

 this the Zunis have developed a philosophy that has been profoundly 

 influenced by their environment. Upon this philosophy is ))uilt a S3\s- 

 tem of religion which, among its many interesting features, inculcates 



