The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-22
WITNESSES A WEIRD RITE.
Experience of ON Ethnologist
with the Pueblos.

BNPeTientt III ON
with the Pueblos.
DIR. j. w. Fewkes, the explorer who di-
rected government archaeological and
chronological expedition into the wiids OF
the Southwest, relates many strange
sensational adventures among strange
aboriginal people still existing IN VA
rious isolated hooks and corners of this
broad dominion of ours. but none so
weird and fantastic as the story Of his
initiation as a Hopi priest by queer
race of that name in Arizona. He says:
'Of all the people called Puebos VINO
still survive in America the Hopi are the
least modified. Numbering about 900 n
all. they are distributed in seven small
settlements In Southwestern Arizona,
surrounded by wild eXpanse of arid dts-
crit Thus isolated from white mans In
fiuence, they stil adhere closely to the
strange mythology and religious rituals
of their ancestors, who Were living IN the
same locality in the sixteenth century
when discovered by the Spaniards
Leaving the railroad ut Holbrook. Ari-
IONA, / lately Travelled 70 or 80 miles north
through an ancient Indian trail. to Walp
a very old Hopi town, which stands upon
a steep and picturesque mesa overlook
ing the barren plains below for many
miles. There are established among the
Hopi two very sacred priesthoods-the
'antelopeS' and the snakes whose Sc
cret rites the uninitiated are never per
mtted to see Membership To them Is
limited and even other 1opis are debarred
entrance to the secret rooms in which the
religious ceremonies are performed Ii
was necessary for me To join but one OF
the TWO secret organizations in order To
witness the rites of both. and / chose to
become one of the antelopes' partly be-
cause they were the stronger of the two
and partly because | had been advised
that initiation into the snakes would in
Nolye certain repulsiVe requirements. ]
were but they had much to do with the
handling of live rattlesnakes and the
placing of them In my mouth
ITO be properly initiated as an ante
lope IL was essential for me to select
from among their priests one who should
become my foster father responsible Tor
my character and my discretion in regard
10 betraying the secret rites Ia The unini-
tiated Hopis. II was decided. howe yer,
that there would be no objection to my
divulging these ceremonies 10 white peo-
pie, and that ii would be beneficial Tor
me to preserve an accurate account OF
them TO be handed down To posterty.
MY initiation occurred in dark sub
terranean room. the sacred 'kiNa' where
all such ceremonies We're cnstOmalilY
held. This ! could enter only through a
hatchway in the room. and descending
by means of ladder, / reached the in
terror lighted by fire built In the mid
die of the floor. | had chosen as my Hopi
foster father AN old deaf priest named
Wiki cRoasting an Ear OF Corn. and
the formality of his selection in the 'kiNa'
consisted primarily of my placing in his
hand a morsel of sacred meal which he
place to his mouth and consecrated
with a prayer for my future purity oil
heart. He then sprinkled the meal over
several fetiches arranged about AN altar,
Il peculiar structure made in the west
end of the room.
Il was hereafter allowed entrance to
the 'kiva' but was not considered priest.
l. with other noyitiates. had beer guild d
by a courier outside the town several
mornings To certain sacred shrine.
where we were told to deposit q pinch
of sacred meal and at the same time offer
a prayer to the Hopi gods. | WAS further
more required TO wear attached to my
| scalp lock a feather stained red, to sig
| Nifty that | had become a priest. Even
! then my initiation was Incomplete until l
was escorted TO my foster fathers house
/ TO receive my new name,
Here / found his entire family gath
! cred around waiting for the ceremony to
I take place Standing I'm the middle OF the
floor was "A large bowl hlled with water
covered with suds made with roots OF tn,
soap plant. l was told to kneel before
this and 10 bend my head over it. which
/ ! did. while my foster fathers wife CAV,
my head n thorough washing. | was thel
! told to stand while my face Was CoNertt
with wet meal and / was requested 1,
allow this to remain until the close OF tn
day. The prelimnaries having been con
cluded. | received my Hopi name and
obeying instructions. | carried handfu
Of meal TO the doorway ana cast II To
ward the sun.
Through this ceremony / practically
became 4 member of Nikis household.
was ever afterward 10 consider them a
my kin and as a manifestation OF m
sincerity was expected make Them pres
ents of sugar. meal and tobacco. Tn
new name given me Was .Sdquepe q
Medicine Bowl. because, as the old prizes
said his people had been pouring the
Information about their medicine into M
as though | We're I'm fact medicine how
''Jusf after this time the Hopi wcH
preparing for biennial ceremony. q
ancient rite StHl repeated in order ths
their crops will grow. and especially ths
there Nil tan abundant gain sorol
needed in their locality, Il dramatic
more or less perfectly the legend 81 a
coming of their first people to those par
and lasts nine days. the conclusion hair
= public ceremony 10 which the neishbo
ing people are admitted.
The snake and antelope priests are a
principal factors. the former numbery
about - and the latter only IS On eat
Of the first four of the nIne Gays N
snake priest secured The country laval
different cardinal point Of the Compa
for all the live rattlesuakcs and 9th
yenom nous SrrpcntS there IL Ice faun
Early each OF these mornings trey d
vested themselves Of all clothing exec
their brcech cloths. painted thvir bod
red armed themselves with hoes al