The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-30
THE RESTLESS MOQUIs.
The Strange Ceremonies of Their Horri
BILE Snake Dance.

The Strange Ceremonies of Their Horri-
BILE Snake Dance.
Not a little anxiety is felt by the people
of New Mexico and Arizona on account of
the reported attitude of the Moqui Indians,
says the st. Louis Post-Dispatcb. This
tribe has never yet given any trouble, but
it is now feared that the present d~issatis-
faction may lead to al outbreak. Tho Mo-
quis may be called the hermit race of the
United States. Their desire has always
been to be let Alone. They have, so far as
possible. avoided contact with the whites
and other Indians, and to-day are more
nearly in their aboriginal condition than
| any redskins in the country.
The fact that the Indian department. has
taken a number OF thsir children and sent
them to school has caused the greatest ex-
element. Some of the Moqui are e1cesd-
ingly dissatisfied, and threats of violence
have been made. The military authorities
do not share the apprehensions of the set
tiers. The officers declare that if the In
dams should attempt to go to war they
could be speedily overpowered by the
forces that could Ee brought against them
at Fort Wingate, which is only a couple of
marches from the Moqui reservation.
There 10 certain y a great deal of excite
ment among the Moquis. and the men are
concentrating at their chief pueblo, but
this is ascribed to the report that the great
snake dance is soon to be held,
and not to any hostile intention.
This horrible and dangerous dance
has been characteristic of the Moquis
ever since the tribe was known to the
whites, and while the dances do not occur
as regularly as formerly. they are still ad-
hered to by the savages. It's origin is UNI
known, the secret being jealousy guarded
by the Indians. The dance is held in the
great medicine lodge, before q huge block
of stone known as the sacred stone. For
months the Indians have been busily en-
gagged in collecting rattlesnakes, and ,nany
voted to this purpose.
The dance Is always opened by an old
man, barefooted and crowned with a gar
land of cottonwood leaves, holding in font
OF him a Hat earthen bowl, from which he
sprinkles tho ground in front of him with
water. A second man follows, carrying a
basket of cornmenl, and a third bears q
necklace Of bears claws i'll his left hand
and n rattle in his right. Behind come a
crowd of men and boys carrying rutt!es and
wands tipped with eagles feathers.
All the dancers wear tortoise shell ratt.es
tied to the right knee, small punches of
red feathers on the head, their faces blacked
from brow to upper lip, while the mouth
and chin are smeared with white kaolin.
After marching around the sacred some,
pranolshlnR the feather tipped wands and
shaking the %ratt!es, those bearing the
wands wlthdra but soon reap, car in two
files. the ief: hand flies CARRYING rattle
snakes i'll their hands and oven IN their
mouths. Those in the right hand files use
the feather tipped wands TO tickle the rep
tllea about the head and jaws, thus dis
tracing thor attention from those who
carry them.
When the snake carriers reach the end Of
the lodge they spit tho reptiles out upou the
pear. All ca nv baskets filled with finely
ground corn -four. This is thrown by
handfuls into the air and upon the
serpents, the lips of the women NOV.
ing IN irayer rs it il done. Az soon as n snake
is property sprinkled it IL picked up bY one OF
the wand bearers and given to one of the
boys, who holds 1T for an instant. and they
IL IS confined to the sanctuary OF the SACRED
lodge.
ms sanctuary Is lined with buffalo hide
whlcn prevents the snakes from crawliU1
upward. When tho first consignment hn,
been sprinkled, other snakes are brought
ma are invariably carried between in,
teeth, some men bearing two wtigglinr ser.
pents Mt the snne time. When nh Inv,
been sprinkled the serpents are ranidi,
passed out Of the sanctuary and pincot
within a circle OF white meal.
The Indians, after an incarnation bv the
chioi medicine man. convuisively 0rrs, the
reptiles IN e eht handfuls and rush down +
steep trail to the base of tho decliyity. uror
inc top of which tho sacred lodge is located
Inc snakes ale then released and the dnnc,
ends. The ceremony does not last NOR,
J than ~three-Guarter Of an hour