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Show could on no account leave the custody of the priests. About a dozen of these objects were thus selected to serve as Tribal relics, and were taken away from me, alas! The remainder, however, were ultimately yielded up to me in recognition less of my pleadings than in 'token of the will of the Beloved (Gods) as manifest in (my) escape alive from the 'Hole of Descent' and in (my) loving care of the relics. Since none of the modern offerings which Cushing took from Kolhu/walatwa are listed in his "Catalogue of Specimens," it is likely that the Zunis took them back from Cushing as well as the ancient items he mentioned in his narrative. Knowledge of Kolhu/walatwa quickly spread to other non-Zunis. Another expedition by the Bureau of Ethnology was led to Zuni by Colonel James Stevenson, who visited the village along with his wife Matilda Coxe Stevenson in order to collect examples of Zuni artifacts for the National Museum. He also learned of Kolhu/walatwa, probably from Cushing, and also visited that sacred area. Mrs. Stevenson ignored the Zunis' traditions and rules about the sacred area and in 1881, with her husband, visited Kolhu/walatwa. She noted that Zunis were not supposed to visit Kolhu/walatwa without the express permission of the Komosona, or they would die within four days. Nevertheless, they unmercifully pressured their old Zuni guide to lead them there. Without telling him their object, they first traveled to Saint Johns, Arizona. The next morning they "cautiously approached" the Zuni, but found he was unwilling to go and "declared that they must not go." She « ^ 131 continued! Extreme persuasion was necessary to induce him to guide them to the sacred spot. As the day advanced and the party proceeded on their journey the old Indian, so fearless in battle, became greatly alarmed; he declared the marshy ground which the party crossed with 131. Stevenson, 1904, og. cit., pp. 148-162. - 86 - |
