The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-14

as this place offers more advantages
for its successful carrying out besides
in the number of participants. Although
the dance is peculiar and somewhat
amusing in the extreme, to the Ameri-
cans, yet this is in solemn contrast to
the seriousness and WhOle-SOuled deep
FEELING on the part Of the Mokis.
The Snake dance is similar in many
ways to all Indian dances yet it is still
more interesting and complicated The
Snake dance is far ahead of any or
binary Indian dance and contains weird
features, etc, which go to show the ex-
traOrdinary superstituous nature of the
Mok1s, in addition to the predominating
Indian traits. In order to really enjoy
and appreciate the Snake dance it must
be seen; to attempt to describe it, is to
almost attempt the impossible. The in
carnations, singing, weird and majestic
movements, endorsement and contor-
tions of the body and last but by
means least, the decorations on the
bodleS OF these Indian Snake dancers,
are features which must be seen in or
der to get the full appreciation of their
grotesqueness. The horror which or
dtnar1ly might arise is lost sight of in
the more fascinating parts of the dance.
The place where the dance takes place
is level space, cleared and may be
called the dance plaza. At one side is
pile of green cottonwood branches which
is called the Kfsi. or the place where the
snakes are kept in readiness for the
dance The dance begins. A priest en-
terS and runs quickly to the kisi. He
carries a bag of writing, crawling
snakes, rattlesnakes, bull snakes and
arrow snakes, and is soon lost sight of
among the green branches. Soon enters
the Antelope Priests, a weird uncanny
looking crowd, their almost naked
bodies painted and streaked with white
band OF white on their chin, stretch
ing from ear to ear, fox skin hanging
down from the belt of each and tortoise
shell rattles, necklaces, shells and tor
toise are festooned about the body, both
for the Ornamentation as we'll as the
he do at
ton.
The Antelope chief leads the party
and he wears his sacred insignia across
his left arm. Behind him comes the
medicine bowl carrier. while following
IN single file are all the other Antelope
Priests, each carrying rattles and march
ing with stately strides and graceful
movements of the body. Their eyes
straight ahead and heads erect
-Four times they march around the
plaza to the left, each priest sprinkIing
sacred meal here and there and as they
pass the klsi each one stamps upon a
board with a hole in its center which
is placed directly in front of the Kisi.
The Specification of this board is that
the hole is the passage into the I'M
foreground world, while the stamping
on the plank gives notice to the spirits
OF their ancestors that a ceremony is in
progress After the four times circuit
is made the priests line up facing out
ward in front of the Kisi
Now the Snake Priests enter. They
are even more stately in their move
mentS than are the Antelope Priests
Their bodies are painted red. their chlns
bIackened and broad white stripe and
their whole body ornamented with bar
barrie ornaments. They circle the plaza
four times, stamping vigorously on the
plank as they pass the Kisi, and finally
line up before the Antelope Priests who
have kept up a continuous noise with
their rattles- All is still for a minute
then the rafting begins anew and
low humming chant accompanies it.
The bodies sway from side to side and
they bend forward and backward in
rhymic motion, almost touching the
ground, and with their eagle feather
snake whips they sweep the air and the
earth.
Suddenly the snake line breaks up
into groups of threes. Again they join
IN song and more lively dance. Now the
groups separately pass the Kisi and
one of the members drops to his knees
thrusts his hand into a small hole in the
bower or branches and grasping a
snake, quickly rises and holds it squir1n-
ing in his mouth. Each group goes
through this performance, after which.
they all dance around the plaza, four
times, to the music of the Antelope
Priests. and at the same time going
through all sorts Of fantastic motions
Finally the snakes are all dropped to
the ground and one attendant rusheS
in and gathers them up in a bundle
Now a. priest, older than the others
advances to the center of the plaza,
and outlining a circle on the ground
with sacred meal at the same time
placing a quantity of the meal in the
center, while the Snake Priests form a
circle around the meal. Suddenly the
bundle of snakes is thrown into this
meal and a wild scramble takes place
each priest grabbing for a snake. As
each one gets one, they dart away this
way and that, over rocks, down the
trails, far away, carrying the snakes,
the messengers to the rain gods, as they
call them, back to their native haunts
Finally after all the Snake Priests
have gone, the Antelope Priests, begin
their stately march around the plaza
again, four times they circle to the left,
stamping on the board as they pass
and finally they file out to their dwell
lngs and the snake dance is finished.
The Snake Priests in a short time re-
turn, go to their dwellings, remove all
their ornaments and cOngregate at the
edge of the cliff, where the Medicine
women have placed great vessels of
dark liquid The Snake Priests drink
large quantities of this, which refresh hes
them after their hard dance. No one
but SalakO, the head Snake woman,
knows what is in this drink or how it
is made. for she alone has made it in
secret, with mysterious herbs and roots.
The liquid is supposed to be an antidote
for any poisonous bite that may have
been received from a snake.
The dance this year is being looked
forward to with much interest and
without a doubt will have many spec
tatOrs- The Santa Fe will make a spec
iaI low rate to this Snake Dance, thus
giving the public an opportunity of
witnessing an attraction which is well
worth a trip across the continent As
soon as the exact dates for the dance
are determined upon, they will be an
nounced and the cheap rates will go
into effect.
BRAKEMEN WITHOUT JOBS.
RasuIt of SupnIvinnr Freieht Trains