The Alaska Fisherman

Indians Taught Evolution

(Indian Leader, Kansas)

Tennessee may cling to her anti-evolution law, thus officially protesting against new-fangled scientific theories; yet long before Darwin, native Americans of the Southwest were teaching their children evolutionary ideas as a matter of course. This chapter of the ancient history of evolution in America is pointed out by Arthur Woodward, curator of history at the Los Angeles Museum. For centuries the Zuni Indians have believed in evolution. The evidence is their creation myths, and also ancient fetishes of stone carved in the form of animals. "Frank Cushing that immortal ethnologist and primal recorder of Zuni folk-lore set down the Zuni tale of 'The Irying of the World' and the evolution of the Zuni from small reptile-like forms to men who walked upright and lived as men," said Mr. Woodward. "According to the Zuni, in early days men, or at least the ancestors of men, lived in the bottommost of four caves beneath the earth. Then, the Two Culture Heroes, sons of the great Sun Father, took pity on the people and by means of cane ladders permitted them to crawl from the lowest level to the next cave. Here it was a bit lighter and the people began to assume upright forms. They multiplied and became restless, seeking higher levels. In this second cave they learned more of speech and began assuming a tribal identity. By means of a third ladder they ascended to the third cave which was brighter, and here they began to long for the outer world. In each climbing some were left behind. In the fourth cave, those who could crawl up the cane ladder became full-fledged Zuni, having been taught the arts by the Twin Culture Heroes. However, the earth was then very moist, and strange creatures and man-eating animals roamed the wet surface. To protect men from the fierce monsters, the Culture Heroes shot magic arrows of lightning. Some of the huge beasts died where they stood and their bones turned to stone and were buried in the earth. The Zuni are not surprised when fossil remains are found nowadays. They know those gigantic animals roamed the earth when it was new. They know men evolved slowly from lower forms. The two Culture Heroes allowed the spirits of the giant beasts to linger in the fossil remains. These powerful forces, the ancient Zuni hunters converted to their use in hunting and war. They did it by making little stone fetishes representing the animals. By feeding and propitiating the little stone figures, they could call upon the spirits for aid. The first evolutionists of America were practical as well as theoretical," Mr. Woodward observes. -El Palacio, University of New Mexico.