Native American Tale
This story is told in the Pueblos of New Mexico. This version was collected by Charles Lummis on the Isleta Pueblo, along the Rio Grande just south of Albuquerque.
Nachu-ruchu is the Isleta name for the young man who is a weaver and a cultural hero of the pueblo. In this tale, he outwits the two Yellow Corn Maidens.
(Here they are shown tossing the finely-ground cornmeal on the smooth mother-of-pearl shell outisde Nachu-ruchu's house.)
Yellow Corn Maidens
And he wins the love of the woman who visits him every night in his dreams. She is the Moon Maiden. (These sketches were made by artist G. W. Edwards from photographs taken by Charles Lummis.)
The Moon Maiden
This is a tale that celebrates both the beauty of nature and the beauty of craftwork. It reflects the harmony of nature and culture in the daily life of Isleta Pueblo.
Charles Lummis himself was a keen listener to the stories of the Native Pueblans and the Hispanics settlers of New Mexico. He had a knack for promoting the southwest that he loved so much. He was a photojournalist, an advisor to President Teddy Roosevelt on Indian affairs, and a historical preservationist.
Here is a photo of an Isleta Bride and Groom taken by Lummis sometime between 1899-1899. The story of the Blue Light of Dawn is a mythic tale about an Isleta Bride and Groom.
