The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-23
o. A. BOYLE, r1anager.
MRS. L. S. CARTER,
Ticket Solicitor.
The M0kf Snake Dance.

! This admirably printed book of &C pages
! and "a half-tone illustrations is not only
one of the most striking railroad publ
cations of the year but also has the
merit of presenting for the first time in
popular form an adequate account of a
! fascinating and dramatic Indian cere-
mony, whose particulars nave hitherto
been chiefly confined to scientific treat
! ises. The snake dance of this ancient
and singularly interesting people of the
Arizona desert is a prayer for rain. ad-
dressed to the gods in the underworld.
to whom the snakes are believed to act
as messengers. The Moki god of water
, is the ancestral Snake, and as the Mokis
are agricultural Inlians, subsistng on the
precarious crops of an arid region, the
clew to the ceremony is readily per-
/ ceived. 1t takes place shortly after the
middle of August, a season when ripen-
/ ing rains are possible, but by no means
sure. The entire ceremony consumes
I nine days, the first eight of which are
| occupied with secret rites in underground
sacred chambers. On the ninth day the
snakes, of which sometimes nearly
hundred are used, about one-third be
ing venomous TattleFs, are held in the
hands and even in the mouths of the
dancers as they march or dance around
the village plaza Enthusiastically painted
and costumed. Then the snakes are
reverentiy restored TO liberty entrusted
with the Moh prayers to the gods. 1t
is said by reliable observers that a
heavy rain not infrequently follows
promptly upon the close of this weird
performance. and while many will con-
ceive that this is only a coincidence,
there are not wanting men of intelligence
and education in our higher civilization
who see no reason why the pious Saxon
should believe in answer TO his own
prayer and deny that possibility to a
savage who addresses his petition rev.
erenLy TO the nearest conception he has
been able 10 form of the Overriding
Power. There are seven Mok Pueblos
still clustered in that northern region
of Arizona, where they were discovered
by the Spaniards in the middle of the six
teenth century. who named the locality
the Province of Tusayan. At five of
these Pueblos the snake dance is regu-
larry celebrated every other year. SO that
in one year the dance will occur at two
villages. and in the following year at
three. The Mokis are a far higher type
of aborigines than one might infer from
this ceremony alone. They are peaceful.
industrious. thrifty. light-hearted and
selfrrespecting, and have numerous
other dances of light and joyous char
acter in which brilliant costumes and
pleasing melody are employed. It is
doubtless only a question eff little time
before this particular rite viii have dis
appeared forever before the government
school and the mission.
The Illustrations OF this little book have
been selected from the best existing col
lection of photographs on the subject
Routes. maps. etc. are included and all
information needed by the intending Wis
itor. Those who desire may obtain Il
on APPLICATION 10 representatives, Of the
Santa Fe Route. in the interest of whose
tourist travel it has been published.
$500 To Cincinnati and Return