A visitor to a pueblo would be sure to notice the _estufas_. These differ
with the pueblo, but the characteristic Rio Grande pueblo type is a large,
round, single-roomed, flat-topped building. They are smoothly coated
outside with adobe clay. A flight of steps leads to the roof, and a long
ladder projecting through a hole in the roof leads down to the inside. The
floor of the estufa is considerably lower than the ground outside. Years
ago, before the Spanish priests taught the Indians our ideas of family
life, all the men and large boys slept in the estufa at night, while the
women and little children slept in the big houses. Nowadays the estufas
are somewhat mysterious places where the dancers practice for the great
dances, and where, on the day of celebration, they dress and ornament for
the event.
At the pueblos are many little round-topped buildings of clay and stone.
They have a small opening or door at the bottom. They are the ovens for
baking bread. The women build a fine fire of dry brush inside the oven
until it is heated thoroughly. The ashes and coals are then raked out, and
the loaves of bread, shaped like large rolls, are put inside on the floor,
and a sheepskin is hung at the door. In about an hour the bread is
removed, well baked and piping hot. Some years ago a lady visiting Taos
wrote a description of that pueblo. She mentioned these clay ovens, and
said, “When not in use for baking bread, they make nice dog kennels.” We
have never seen any except such as had the doorway carefully filled up
with stones when they were not in use for baking.
The bread baked in these ovens is made of wheat flour. Another kind,
called paper-bread, is made of corn. The chief work of the Pueblo woman is
grinding corn meal. The grinding is done upon a stone set slantingly on
the ground. This stone is called a _metaté_. The woman kneels in front of
it and holds a rubbing stone in her hands. Throwing a handful of grains of
corn upon the metaté, she rubs it to meal with the rubbing stone. It is
hard work, and the woman’s body moves up and down, up and down, as she
grinds. Usually she sings in time to her movements. Sometimes three or
four grindstones are set side by side, separated from each other by
boards. Several women grind together, each at one of the stones. The first
grinds the corn to a coarse meal; she then passes it to the next, who
grinds it finer, and then passes it along to be made still finer.
In making paper-bread fine corn meal is mixed with water into a dough or
batter. A fire is then built under a flat stone with a smooth top. When
this is hot, the woman spreads a thin sheet of dough upon it with her
hand; in a moment this is turned, and then the sheet, which is almost as
thin as paper, is folded or rolled up and is ready to eat. The color of
paper-bread varies, but commonly it is a dull bluish-green and tastes
sweet and good.
For threshing wheat the Pueblos prepare a clean, round spot of ground,
perhaps twenty feet across. It is smooth, with a hard, well-trodden floor
of clay. It is surrounded with a circle of poles stuck in the ground, to
which ropes are fastened in order to make an enclosure.
The grain, cut in the fields, is brought in and heaped up on the clay
floor. Ponies are driven into the enclosure, and a boy with a whip keeps
them running around. They tread the grain loose from the chaff or husk. In
the afternoon, when the wind has risen, men with wooden shovels and
pitchforks throw the grain and chaff into the air. The wheat, being heavy,
falls, while the chaff is blown away. When the grain has thus been nearly
cleaned, the women come with great bowl-shaped baskets. Spreading a
blanket or skin robe on the ground, a woman takes a basketful of the
grain, holds it up above her head, and gently shakes it from side to side,
pouring out a little stream of the grain all the time. As this falls, the
wind blows out the last of the chaff and dirt, and the grain is left
clean, ready for use.