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Keams Canon, Arizona
Feb 23, 1898

My own true loving little wife.

Received two letters from you & glad to hear from you. You ought to receive one or two letters a week from me.

I saw another ceremony yesterday on the Mesa, a queer thing. Some 60 in it representing a higher order of Katchinas. The dancing & singing was fine. They danced from sunrise to sunset. I went up after work. They danced and sang in such fine timing just like one man.

I never saw such queer people. If I had to live on their cooking I would starve to death. All I can eat that they cook, or make, is some corn they pop. And they take an egg and take (2) the yoke and what is inside out fill it with corn and pop it. Yesterday I saw something they made which looked awfully nice, so I tasted it. It was beastly.

Have now painted 33 pictures, 20 of them a Moqui. Painted an awfully nice picture of old women. She is a snake woman, and the Snake Chief's mother. The Snake Chief's name is Ko-pe-ley, and I have taken a strong liking to him and he too me. He is about 25 years old and such a fine noble fellow. He comes to see me quite often. He doesn’t want me to leave here. I have painted him in full snake costume.

Ko-Pe-Ley
Moqui
Keams Canon, AZ
Elbridge Ayer Burbank
1898
Oil on Canvas
14 3/4" by 19"
Restricted gift of Mrs. Herbert A. Vance in honor of James N. Wood
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
E40329

Thurber writes me that they have got a big New York house to handle all the Indian photos and I think lots of them will be sold. (3)

A nice kitty has come to the matrons house where I get my meals. At first the cat was wild, but finally I got it so I could touch him. Now every morning he waits for me, so I pick him up, hug him, and he sings away. This morning he showed me three mice he caught. Two of them were all eaten up, except the noses(?), and the third he hadn’t touched. He said he would eat him after a while. He said these Moqui mice are very juicy.

Yesterday a woman showed me how they do the unmarried girl's hair and sometime will do yours up that way, am sure it would be becoming.

I speak quite a good deal of Moqui right now. I have been with them more than any other tribe, that is, continually. (4) The old Indian who comes every night has just gone. He said, "maug-ee ne-ma", which is tired, go home. I have got a whole lot of awfully interesting things I have got here, awfully decorative.

Expect to leave here in three or four weeks and will go directly to Mr. Hubbell’s and I expect to paint the Belle of the Navajos there, then go some 40 miles by wagon to the railroad.

I haven’t had my hair cut for 4 months. Pretty soon I will fix it up like the Moqui men do. Well, I must go to bed darling. It is to bad Katie is having such a time, I hope she is better. Good night darling. Your own true loving husband.

Lots of love, hugs & kisses,

Elbridge