The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1879-10-18
The Snake Dance.
ASW0nderfaI story told by an
Agent OF the MOquls Indians.
w. r. Mateer, IndiantAgent of
the Moquis Pueblos OF Arizona.
gives thrillin account Of q strange

the Moquis Pueblos OF Arizona.
gives a thrillin account of q strange
I ceremony practiced by that tribe,
called the Snake dance. " The
Moguis regard the serpent as q
sacred reptile possessed Of the pow
er Of controlling the elements, and
disposed to be friendly to man.
| They never Xiii snahe, ana
frequently handle the most pois.
onous serpent with impunity.
The rattlesnake is regarded with
special veneration, and their bite
| is no more dreaded than the
scratch of a mesquit thorn or the
pricking of cactus. They have
an antidote for the bite Of a rattle
snake which is infallible and new.
er fails to effect a cure in few
minutes when administered i'm
mediately. An indian of this
tribe, when bitten by a rattler,
swallows the antidote at once, and
after being supplied for a mo-
ment, becomes entirely restored
and never feels any pain or incon.
venience afterwards. All at
tempts Of white men to learn the
ingredients of this antidote have
proved futile, as the secret is
guarded with religious fidelity,
and an Indian would Law down
his life rather than communicate
the recipe for snake bites to a
pale face. IF white man is bit
ten by a ratti snake, the Indians
will not hesiute to give him the
antidote, hut he must not inquire
what it is composed Of.
| The snake dance is performed
by the M0quiS every two years,
ana is resOrted to as a means OF
propitiating the Spirit of the Sum-
mer Rain to send abundant show
ers to fructify theearth and make
the crops grow. The corn is
planted in the moist sand of the
mesa. without previous prepara.
ton of the ground for the ploW is
unknown to the tribe, and after
it has grown to g certain height
and needs moiste,ing from the
clouds, preparations are made fol
the grand snake dance. a deep
and wide excavation is made in
the dirt floor OF one Of the
largest housesin the village, and
the whole tribe GO out to hunt
snakes. These they catch with
their hands and bring them in
twined around their necks, cOilled
in their bosoms, or wrapped
around their legs and arms. All
kinds offsDekes are captured-the
rattler. the vi er. the moccasin,
the blue racer, the black, the
garter, the green, spotted,-in
fact, every variety existing in
the country. These to the mum.
ber of several hundred are placed
in the pit in the floor, and the
mouth is covered over with buf'
falo robe, the hairy side down,
to prevent the reptiles from crawl.
ing out and escaping. Then 8
certain number of the old men
dance around the pit, chanting
monotonous songs and calling
upon the imprisoned serpents te
intercede with the Spirit of the
Clouds to send rain upon the
thirsting corn-fields. A body o.
younger men next form a circle
around the pit, and 20 through
a similar ceremony. Then com.
the old women, who have diff
ferent chant, then the young
!. married women, then the boys
and finally the virgins with thei
hair done up in loopes, and ther
for few NOR! euts solemn 81
ience prevails, during which tn
Missing of the serpents and tn,
shrill sound of their rattles ar
heard under the buffalo robe