American Notes New Mexico

Indians from New Mexico's pueblos have been a pivotal part of the U.S. Forest Service's Southwest Firefighters Unit since the early 1950s. High spirited, and paid $7.05 an hour, the Jemez Pueblo's Eagles are among the proudest of all the smoke eaters and are often sought out to help battle fires throughout the West. Last week four of the 102-member group were killed and 17 others injured when their truck overturned off a mountain road in Idaho, where they had been fighting a forest fire. Just as the Jemez community (pop. 2,800) always turned out to send its Eagles off to do battle against fire, it gathered again for the fire fighters' funeral. The four Indians were buried in a common grave, their bodies wrapped, according to custom, only in blankets.