The account of the houses or hogáns of the Navaho Indians which is
presented here will be of interest to the student of architecture,
it is believed, because data concerning such primitive types of house
structures are quite rare. It is also thought to be of interest to the
archeologist and ethnologist as well as to the general reader, for it
is well known that no one product of a people’s art exhibits so clearly
their mental attitude and their industrial status as the houses which
they build.
Much of the material here presented was obtained some ten years ago,
when the recent changes which have taken place in Navaho life had
only just begun. Although the same processes are now employed in house
construction as formerly, and although the same ceremonies are observed,
they are not so universally nor so strictly adhered to as they were. The
present tendency is such that in a comparatively short time the rules
for the construction of a hogán which have been handed down through
many generations and closely followed, and the elaborate ceremonies of
dedication which formerly were deemed essential to the well-being of the
occupants, will be so far modified as to be no longer recognizable, if,
indeed, they are not altogether abandoned. Such being the case, even a
bare record of the conditions which have prevailed for at least two
centuries must be of value.
As the architecture of a primitive people is influenced largely by the
character of the country in which they live, a brief description of the
Navaho reservation is deemed necessary. Similarly, the habits of life of
the people, what a naturalist would term their life history, which in
combination with the physical environment practically dictates their
arts, is worthy of notice, for without some knowledge of the conditions
under which a people live it is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain
an adequate conception of their art products.
The winter hogáns are the real homes of the people, but as the form
and construction of these are dictated by certain rules and a long line
of precedents, supported by a conservatism which is characteristic of
savage life, the summer shelters, which are largely exempt from such
rules, are of considerable interest. Moreover, the effects of modern
conditions and the breaking down of the old ideas should have some place
in a discussion of this kind, if only for the hint afforded as to the
future of the tribe.
The elaborate ceremonies of dedication which in the old days always
followed the construction of a house, and are still practiced, exhibit
almost a new phase of Indian culture. The essentially religious
character of the Indian mind, and his desire to secure for himself and
for his family those benefits which he believes will follow from the
establishment of a perfect understanding with his deities--in other
words, from the rendering of proper homage to benignant deities and the
propitiation of the maleficent ones--are exhibited in these ceremonies.
The sketch of them which is here given, the songs which form a part of
the ceremony, and the native explanations of some of the features will,
it is believed, assist to a better understanding of Indian character.
Finally, the rather full nomenclature of parts and elements of the house
which forms the last section of this memoir will probably be of service
to those who find in language hints and suggestions, or perhaps direct
evidence, of the various steps taken by a people in the course of their
development. As the writer is not competent to discuss the data from
that point of view, it is presented here in this form for the benefit of
those who are. Some suggestions of the derivation of various terms are
given, but only as suggestions.
Much of the material which is comprised in this report was collected by
the late A. M. Stephen, who lived for many years among the Navaho. His
high standing and universal popularity among these Indians gave him
opportunities for the collection of data of this kind which have seldom
been afforded to others. Some of the notes and sketches of Mr Victor
Mindeleff, whose studies of Pueblo architecture are well known, have
been utilized in this report. The author is indebted to Dr Washington
Matthews, the well-known authority on the Navaho Indians, for revising
the spelling of native terms occurring throughout the text.
In the present paper two spellings of the Navaho word for hut are used.
The proper form is _qoġán_, but in and around the Navaho country it
has become an adopted English word under the corrupt form _hogán_. Thus
nearly all the whites in that region pronounce and spell it, and many
of the Indians, to be easily understood by whites, are pronouncing it
lately in the corrupted form. Therefore, wherever the term is employed
as an adopted English word, the form _hogán_ is given, but where it is
used as part of a Navaho phrase or compound word the strictly correct
form _qoġán_ is preserved.
An inverted comma (‘) following a vowel shows that the vowel is
aspirated.
An inverted comma following _l_ shows that the _l‘_ is aspirated in a
peculiar manner--more with the side than with the tip of the tongue.
ŋ represents the nasalized form of _n_.
ġ represents the Arabic _ghain_.
In other respects the alphabet of the Bureau is followed.