109. A RAID ON THE HOPI VILLAGES. 1

The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth, [1905], at sacred-texts.com

Halíksai! At the old ruin on top of the hill (about seven miles north-east of Oraíbi) used to live some people. Across the valley on another mesa was also a village. The inhabitants of these two villages used to live farther north-east. They were harassed and warred upon by the Utes (Útsiâ), for which reason they moved to the two places already mentioned. For about five years they were left in peace in those villages after they had settled there. But in the sixth year their enemies found them again, and one evening they were seen approaching the village and were camping at the mesa somewhat eastward. The chiefs said to their young men: "It seems that somebody is camping there. You run there in the evening and find out who they are."

So some of the young men ran there, and sneaking close to the camp found out that, sure enough, they were their old enemies. When the inhabitants of the villages heard that, they were busy all night making bows and arrows and preparing for a fight. Very early in the morning the inhabitants of the village on the west side of the valley all moved over to a small village on the east side of the valley, that was situated on the extreme edge of the mesa. Here they thought they could defend themselves better, as it would be very difficult for their enemies to get up to their village.

When the sun rose the enemies approached the village on the west side of the valley, rushed up the hill and went through the village, but did not find any one, all having fled. But they soon discovered their tracks and followed them. They were on horseback, but when they arrived at the place where these people had assembled they could not get up to the village, and many of them were shot and killed by the people in the village. But finally, towards evening, some of them going around the mesa succeeded in getting into the village from the south side, where they captured some of the women and maidens, rushed off with them, mounted their ponies, and escaped.

The warriors of the village, though they followed them, could not overtake them, as they were afoot. The people who had thus been

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attacked said that they would not stay at their villages, as they would certainly be attacked again by their enemies. So they dressed up and packed up all their things, and forming into line, went to Oraíbi, the chief going at the head of the line. They were admitted to the village and are still living there. In that battle not many of them had been killed, as they were well defended from their assailants, and the latter, after having taken some women and children, escaped.

Footnotes

267:1 Told by Kwáyeshva (Oraíbi).