The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-02
NAVAJO SNAKE DANCE.
It Is Religious Ceremony Among the
Southern IndIans.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Jan. l.-HBeDjamin
Brink, Moqui, Ari.," was written on the
register at the Palmer House yesterday
by robust looking man OF sixty some.
what stoopehoqldered. Mr. Brink is m
Indian trader, and as MOqui is pinety
miles away from the Pacific railroad, he
says he did not hear about the trouble
among the Indians in the Northwest
until four days ago.
"From what l have heard OF the
ghost dance,'" said Mr.. Brink, / can
not see why it should stir up such q
row. The 'sDRke GGnce,' ] believe, is
ten times more exciting, and the Huni,
Navajo and Moqui Indians on the reser-
yation near my rome work themselves
into sefieot frenzy during its progress,
but never think Of moleati6g the whites.
at is part Of their religion, though,
and j! coy s.tempt were made to stop It
believe theTo would be bloodshed.
The dance takes place once in two years.
The last one was celebrated in July.
Preparations were made BeYeral weeks
before it came of, aud wGs as ANXIOUS
10 DO q spectator as they were. a
stranger or wilder ceremony | never
saw. I hope Ishall never see it again,
The dance took place Ist before sun
down, and / got up on q high ledge
where 1 could get good view. The
space allowed for the dancers was not
large and was enclosed. Fifteen fine
looking Indiana began to walk rather
slowly at HFst aroand huge stone IN
the Genter o. tho inclosure. They were
almost naked, aud every part Of thell
bodies, even 10 their feet, was smeared
With red Rnd green paint, Each man
had 4 fox's scalp dangling from his
waist and in each hand carried 0 rattle
made Of gourd. Hoois OF deer wers
! tied sroundtbeir ankles and wrists, and
a. each step and movement OF the arm
noise enough was make to wake the
dead.
"The snakes to be used in tue dance had
been caught several days before the tete,
and lust before the dance had been
placed in q cluster OF trees beneath
where | stood. After the men had
yelled till they were hoaIgs aud had
ipalO themselyes tired With stamping
on the ground, City moEe palIted fed.
skins came rushing GOWn hill, filed
Into tha enclosure, and then began such
tumult as never want to hear again.
At a given signal the sixty.tiVe now
thoroughly frantic men made q rush for
the groVe Wheret the snakes were hidden.
Each man eaLao rushing h0ck with 4
wrigRling and Equirming snske, it's neck
between his teeth so it could not bite
him, re.enteIiDg the ring and began a
slow walk around the center stone. The
reptiles Missed a..d dashed their tails
aud bodies around the nCcks Of the ap'
parentiy mad red men. Several Of them
we're bitten by the hnaks, which we've
the most venomous in the country. II
is wonder all OF the performers were
not bitten. Two OF them died day OF
two altey tbs dsuce, the herhs applied
not being sufficient to drsg out the
poison.
"Aiter the ceremony each mar
snatched his snake from his mouth, ran
down into the valley below, end lhesC
the reptiles were set Tree. The indiana
were thoroughly exhausted after thell
violent exercise and could scarcely ciawl
back up the hill. From what | could
learn such ceremonies as the SNAKE
dance have been held for centuries.