_From Copyright Photograph 1907 by E.S. Curtis_
Their world was small. At its eastern rim stood a large white mountain,
and at the south a blue one. These formed the home of Astse Hastin, First
Man. A yellow mountain in the west and a black one in the north harbored
Astse Estsan, First Woman.(6) Near the mountain in the east a large river
had its source and flowed toward the south. Along its western bank the
people lived in peace and plenty. There was game in abundance, much corn,
and many edible fruits and nuts. All were happy. The younger women ground
corn while the boys sang songs and played on flutes of the sunflower
stalk. The men and the women had each eight chiefs, four living toward
each cardinal point; the chiefs of the men lived in the east and south,
those of the women in the west and north. The chiefs of the east took
precedence over those of the south, as did those of the west over those of
the north.
One day, led by their eight brave chiefs, all the men went off on a hunt.
It occurred to the head-chief when they had been gone but a short time
that the women should have been instructed to clean the camp thoroughly
and bake a quantity of bread while all the men were away; so he despatched
the youngest of the four chiefs of the south to the camp to make known his
wishes, but instead of doing as bidden, the young chief visited with the
head-chief's wife. The hunters were gone four days, at the end of which
time they returned with much game, weary and very hungry. To their
surprise they found the camp in a very unkempt condition and no bread
baked in anticipation of their return. The messenger was called before the
head-chief at once and questioned as to the directions he had given the
women. He explained that he had told the chief of the women what they were
expected to do, but she refused to listen to him, and he was powerless to
do more. Then the head-chief went to his wife and demanded to know why she
had refused to issue his orders to the women. She curtly replied that that
was her business and not his; as it was, the women did more work than the
men, for they tilled the fields, made the clothing, cared for the
children, and did the cooking, while the men did practically nothing, so
if they chose to spend a few days in idleness, it was nothing more than
they had a right to do and no one's concern but their own. The chief
became angry, and during a quarrel that ensued he was told that he and all
his followers might leave if they would, for the women could get along
better without them.
Remonstrance and reasoning availed nothing; the chief of the women grew
more vehement as she argued, so the head-chief determined to put the women
to the test. The following morning he issued orders that all the men in
camp prepare to depart, for the women had declared they could live better
independently of them and were to be given an opportunity to do so.
Having decided to cross the great river flowing from the east, work at
once began on four large cottonwood rafts to be used as ferries. Four days
it took to put all in readiness, and at dawn of the fifth day the crossing
of the stream began. Orders were issued that all food supplies, clothing,
and utensils be left with the women, save enough seed corn to plant crops
the next spring, and no males, infant or aged, were to be left behind.
Four _nu{~COMBINING BREVE~}tli_ (hermaphrodites) objected strongly at being taken from the
women, but were forced to join the men, as they were needed to care for
the babies. Four old cripples, too weak to move, were left behind, but
other than these not a male inhabitant remained in the old village at the
end of four days. After all had crossed the river, the rafts were fastened
securely to the bank in order that the women might not get them and
follow.
[Illustration: Navaho Medicine-man]