The Hopi Buckskin Man; Sketch by Louis B Akin

The Hopi Buckskin Man. Sketch by Louis B. Akin
Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo13amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



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.... These days we are having some wonderful sand storms, blowing up nearly every afternoon. Off here on the mesa we get little of them, but see the sand sweeping up the plains and piling drifts around the school and store buildings. .... I went to a Hopi wedding yesterday morn- ing— the first I've seen. It was held at the groom's house, where, as is the custom, the girl had gone previously to grind corn for three days. I arrived in plenty of time, for only their mothers were up —- though some other guests had already been wel- comed. In front of the fireplace in one corner the two women had two large bowls of warm water and busied themselves working up a lather from crushed soap-weed root, while the balance of the family woke up and dressed. The bride's toilet consisted in rising in her blanket and putting on her belt — for they sleep in their one garment. About that time the man ap- peared from an adjoining room, yawning (for, mind you, this was at "first cock-crow"), clad in blue overalls, much worn, and an old shirt, for he is an educated chap and takes to the white man's burden of clothes. Then they both knelt in front of the basins and his mother washed her hair and her mother washed his. Head washing is a feature of all their ceremonies and they all have wonderfully beautiful hair. When the hair had been partly dried, they bathed the bride's arms, shoulders and feet, and all present threw water which they had brought for the pur- pose over the groom. After that the two stepped out on the terrace, joined hands, cast a pinch of sacred cornmeal toward the sunrise and they twain were one. Now she will live at his house for two months, dining which time he and his male relatives will weave two white robes and an elaborate white sash for her, which she will put on and wear to her own house — he following later, and they settling there. After the wedding I went home and still had an hour or two for sleep before sunrise. To-morrow we have another "kachina" dance — thirty Indians or so from a branch settlement at Moenkapi, forty-five miles away, visit us for that purpose. 114 "The Honi Buckskin Man." Sketch in color by Louis Akin, presented in 1912 to the Camp-Fire Club of New York