Book Review: The Southwest Indians: Daily Life in the 1500s

  The Southwest Indians: Daily Life in the 1500s by Mary Englar, Bridgestone Books, Capstone Press, 2006.

Agter reading this short book I was not sure why it had the subtitle, daily life in th 1500s.  The book did not touch the topic at all.  The book does give a pretty good list of tribes living in the Southwest.  It extends into Mexico.  It does include Navajo, Apache, Zuni, Hopi, Hualapai, Yavapai, Mohave, Pima and a few more.  The social structure is similar to that of other Native American groups; groups of families called a clan or a band and a leader called a chief.  Unique in this area is Native American homes made of brick.  You use what you have.  Much of the Southwest is desert and tribes had to make adaptations.  The Navajo raised wool and cotton for fibers for clothing.  The Pueblo traded with others across a wide area.  Popular games were Patol (a game with sticks) and the moccasin game (a hiding game).  Also racing was popular.  Ceremonies were held to honor nature.  The Hopi danced with the kachina dolls to pray for rain and long life.  They passed along oral traditions from one generation to the next.

Ira H. Hayes Memorial, Sacaton, Arizona

 Ira Hayes is Pima.  During WWII he served as a Marine on Iwo Jima.  He was one of the Marines who helped raise the flag on top of Mount Suribachi.  Iwo Jima was a hard fought battle and the Americans finally came out on to.  Hayes is in the picture taken by Joe Rosenthal of the event.  He was one of the six who raised the flag.  Three would later be killed on Iwo Jima.  Hayes. suffered from PTSD and fell into alcoholism which contributed to his death.  He is buried in Arlington with full honors.  He is portrayed by himself in a movie, and by others on a couple of occasions.  A popular Johnny Cash song is the ballad of Ira Hayes.

Mathew B Juan served in WWI and was the first person from Arizona to die in the war.  He died at the Battle of Catigny.  The Americans were attacking the German position and Juan was killed by a machine gun.  He too was part of the Pima people.  Initially buried in France his mother asked that his remains be returned home which he was after the war.  He is buried with honors in Sacaton.

The memorial is in Sacaton which is part of the Pima Community.  When we went there is was locked (Easter Sunday). so my pictures are from a distance.  A statue of Ira Hayes stands in front of a bronze relief statue of the Rosenthal photo.  The Rosenthal photo is also the inspiration for the Marine Memorial in Arlington.

Memorial to Matthew B Juan

Memorial to Ira H Hayes

Mathew B Juan served in WWI and was the first person from Arizona to die in the war.  He died at the battle of Catigny.  He too was part of the Pima people.

This is a mural kitty corner from the memorial and depicts earth structures and Native Americans in the sky.