The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-10-07
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THE SNAKE DANCE
Horrible Religions Rites OF an Ari-
coma Indian Tribe.

EOTrlhfe Religious Rites OF an Ari-
coma Indian Tribe.
Lieut.. Bourke, who was sent out by
Gen. Sheridan to make investigations
among the Indians, gave graphic ac-
count Of curions and horrible religious
ceremony practiced by the Noquis, a
remarkable tribe of Indians living In
Northeastern Arizona II will say ID
as few words as possible" writes the
Lieutenant to Gen. Sheridan) s that the
Moquishad a procession, divided into two
parts-one of the choristers and gourd-
rattlers, the other Of forty light men and
children, twenty-four Of whom carried
snakes and the other tWenty-four acted
as attendants, tanning the snakes with
eagle feathers. Thehorrible reptiles were
carried bothin the hands and In the mouth.
1t was q loathsome sight to see a long
file OF naked men carrying these sinuous
monsters between their teeth, and tramp
ingsaround a long circle to the accompa-
nlment of a funereal dirge Of rattles and
monotonous chanting. After snake
had been thus carried around the circle
it was deposited in, a-sacred lodge of cot
tonWood saplings covered with a buffalo
robe, and its place taken by another.
Thus it was nat hard to calculate the
number used which was not far from
one hundred over than under
and half the number were rattlesnakes.
The procession entered through an ar
cade, marching in the line of the arrow
heads, four times around a great circle,
embracing both the sacred lodge and the
sacred rock, and then formed in two
single ranks, the choristers facing
toward q precipiee, and the dancers fac
ing the. sacred lodge. The high
priest, as call him, took station di-
rectly in front Of the sacred lodge, and
between it and the sacred rock, which
latter is a gri1n-looking pile Of weather
worn sandstone, twenty or thirty feet
high, having slight resemblance to a
human head. At the foot of it is a niche
in which is q pieceof black stone bear
ing very vague appearance of the hui
man trunk. At the base of the idol are
many yotiye offerings to propitiate the
deity to send plentiful rains. As the
procession files round the little plaza,
the g high priest sprinkles the ground
with water, using an earthen bowl and
an eagles feather as a sprinkler. A
second mediterranean twirls a peculiar
sling, and makes noise like the falling
of copious showers. When the two lines
are halted, facing each other, the dane
ers, who are at irst.provided with eagle
feathers, wave them gently downward
to right and left, while the choristers
shake their rattles, making a noise like
a rattlesnake, and at the same time sing
q low and not unmusical chant. When
this is finished the high priest holds the
bowl toward the sacred lodge, utters a
low but audible prayer, and sp1inkles
the ground again with water. The
singing and feather-waving are repeated
and the first scene is over. E@9&
Nothing at all horrible has occurred as
yet. But no time is lost before the Sec
ond part Of the ceremony commences.
The choristers remain in their places
with the "high priest, while the dam
GERS, two by two and arm in arm, tramp
with measured tread in long circle en-
bracing the sacred points already mem
toned. Your blood chills as you see
held by the men ON the left snakes Of all
kinds, wriggling and writhing, while the
right-hand man keeps the reptile dis
tracted by tanning its head with eagle
feathers. There is no discount on this
part of the business. The snakes are
carried in the hand and in the mouth,
and, as [ have already said, some of the
rattlesnakes were SO large-over five
feet-that the dancer could not grasp
the whole diameter in his mouth. AS
the procession filed passed the squaws,
the latter threw cornmeal before them
on the ground. These snakes when
thrown to the earth showed themselves
in most cases to be extremely vicious,
and struck at any one coming near. In
such an event, little corn meal was
thrown upon them, and the assistants,
running up, famed them with the eagle
feathers until they coiled up, and then
he quickly seized them back Of the head.
After all the snakes had been put under
the buffalo robe covering the sacred
lodge, there was another prayer, and
the second scene ended.
The third scene commenced almost
Immediately, and was as follows: The
snakes were seized by ones, twos and
half dozens, and thrown into the circle,
where they were covered over with corn
meal. A signal was given, land a num-
Der of feet young men grabbed the
snakes IN handfuls, ran at full speed
down the almost vertical paths in the
face of the mesa, and, upon reaching it's
foot, let them go free to the north, the
south, the east and west. The young
men then came back at full run, dashed
through the crowd and on to one of the
estufas, where, we were told, they had
to swallow potion to induce copious
vomiting and to undergo other treat
ment to neutralize any bites they might,
have received. ss s.s = Sea.s
Ii. one corner was asort Of altar. which
[ carefully sketohed, while behind it was
a loathsorne mass of not less than 100
I snakes of different varieties, carefully
guarded by two old fellows, who seemed
to be under the Influence of q narcotic,
I couldn't learn what. In front Of the
sialtar was covered earthenware basin.a
/ asked permission to withdraw the COW
on, and saw that the vessel contained
four large sea-shells and a liquid Of sonB
unknown composition, of which the men
who were to handle. snakes drank freely.
Ma The Man With the. Umbrella.