The North American Indian | Page 5

few army officers;
consequently their study was entered into with especial interest. Although much time was
expended and much patience consumed before the confidence of their elders was gained,
the work was finally successful, as will be seen particularly by the creation legend and
the accompanying mythologic picture-writing on deerskin, which give an insight into the
mode of thought of this people and a comprehensive idea of the belief respecting their
genesis. Not satisfied with the story as first related by the medicine-men lest error
perchance should have crept in, it was repeated and verified by others until no doubt of
its entire accuracy remained. It is especially fortunate that the chief investigations were
made in the summer of 1906, when the new "messiah craze" was at its height, thus
affording exceptional opportunity for observing an interesting wave of religious ecstasy
sweep over this primitive folk.
The Navaho tribe, second only to the Sioux in numbers, have been the least affected by
civilizing influences. The Navaho is the American Bedouin, the chief human touch in the
great plateau-desert region of our Southwest, acknowledging no superior, paying
allegiance to no king in name of chief, a keeper of flocks and herds who asks nothing of
the Government but to be unmolested in his pastoral life and in the religion of his

forebears. Although the mythology and ceremonials of this virile people would alone
furnish material for many volumes, it is believed that even with the present comparatively
brief treatment a comprehensive view of their character and activities will be gained.
It is with pleasure that I acknowledge the able assistance rendered by Mr. W. W. Phillips
and Mr. W. E. Myers during the last two years of field work in collecting and arranging
the material for this volume, and the aid of Mr. A. F. Muhr in connection with the
photographic work in the laboratory.
EDWARD S. CURTIS

[Illustration: Apache Camp]
Apache Camp
From Copyright Photograph 1906 by E.S. Curtis

[Illustration: Typical Apache]
Typical Apache
From Copyright Photograph 1906 by E.S. Curtis

THE APACHE

HISTORICAL SKETCH
The Indian and his history present innumerable problems to the student. Facts seemingly
contradict facts, well-founded theories contradict other theories as well founded.
Linguistically the Apache belong to the great Athapascan family, which, according to the
consensus of opinion, had its origin in the far North, where many tribes of the family still
live. Based on the creation legends of the Navaho and on known historical events, the
advent of the southern branch of this linguistic group--the Navaho and the Apache
tribes--has been fixed in the general region in which they now have their home, at about
the time of the discovery of America. Contrary to this conclusion, however, the legend of
their genesis gives no hint of an origin in other than their historical habitat. The history
and the legendary lore of the Indian are passed down from generation to generation, so
that it would seem hardly credible that all trace of this migration from a distant region
should have become lost within a period of somewhat more than four hundred years.
Again, judging by the similarity in language, the Apache and the Navaho in prehistoric
times were as nearly a single group as the present bands of Apache are; and, likewise,

there is sufficient similarity in the underlying principles of their mythology to argue a
common tribal origin. The names as well as the functions of several of the mythic
characters are identical in both tribes, as, for example, the war gods
Nayé{~COMBINING BREVE~}nezgani and Tobadzischí{~COMBINING BREVE~}ni.
These miracle-performing twins in each case are the sons of a woman (who occupies an
almost identical position in both Navaho and Apache mythology) and the sun and water
respectively. Pollen also is deified by each--as Hádintin Boy among the Apache and
Táditin Boy among the Navaho. If, therefore, we may concede that the Navaho and the
Apache were originally one tribe, as their language certainly indicates, we have many
arguments in favor of the theory of long residence in the South-west of this branch of the
Athapascan family, for the striking differences in the details of their myths would seem to
indicate that the tribal separation was not a recent one, and that the mythology of the two
tribes became changed in the course of its natural development along different lines or
through accretion of other peoples since the original segregation. The Apache story of
their creation portrays human beings in their present form, while in the Navaho genesis
myth occurs the remarkable story, unquestionably aboriginal, of the evolution of the
lower animals through successive underworlds until the present world is reached, then as
spirit people miraculously creating human life.
The beautiful genesis myth of the Apache is complete; it does not reflect