Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-08-30

procure enough white sand from tbs
Pacific for the construction of the sane
altar for next years ceremonies.
Finally the prayers in the kivas be
ing ended the Antelcpes and Snake.
unite in the sixteen song ceremony,
more generally known as the snake
dance This is public and consists o.
the singing and chanting of siXteeT
different songs and prayers during The
dance, a description Of which la
been given so often it can be over
looked at this time, save to say chat a
its close the priests retire for a little
distance where an eimet:c is admins
cred to them in Kbaraf quantities
The reult IS a thorough cleansing and
Regeneration of the physical body, af-
ter which I'D HANDS participate in
feas,ing to their hearts content and
the utmost of their capacity.
Previous 20 the snake dance it is a
part of the duties of Wa-Ki, the Ante
lOpe chief, to wash all the snakes that
they may Ibe thoroughly purified fer
their portion of the sacred perform
ance This little custom, in the eyes
CT .-he average white man, would thor
oughly entitle Walk to all the digni-
ties of his office and while many
would like to become members of his
1 fraternity, it is quite likely that few
of his pale faced brothers will ever
seek to rCb him Of this unique pre-
/ negative
/ The snake dances are held in but
/ five Of the seven Villages and occur in
.he same village only bienEially. That
/ is, the dance was held in but two vii
/ lagos this year. Next year there will
: be no daloe in these, villages, but
: e -
either three villages. In 1901 the
dances will again be held as they
were this year Referring again to the
! songs, it may be mentioned tflat the
Snakes have no songs that are not
sung in the Antelope kiYa, though their
other rites are presumably different.
/ This is another illustration Of the pre-
dominating influence Of the Artelop6s.
They believe THAT the caremonials Gull
m.nating in the snake dance were
brought by thCir ancestors from the
under world, which indicates that the
rites are of grsat antiquity, dating
back at beast as far as their traditions
extend.
Asked regarding their ancestry, DR..
Miller said that as far as he could de-
termine, nothing very definite could
be found cut. They believe, as sts'.e1
UP from the under world through the
Grand canyon. but after emerging
they were through some unfortunate
circumstance scattered N various di-
rsctions and The various gems in the
course of thine were again gathered to-
geither, the present villages baing the
Place CT mesting. Just where they
were during this period OF wandering
ever the face of the earth they can
not explain, though enc gems called the
''WeteThOGSs people" claim that
when they returned they came from
e'PaI9t-kwad- - which beng inter
Ireted means 'fthe red country of the
south The Snake gems claim TO
have returned from the eaS,.
An Interesting observation in con-
nection with this story is that the
snake dance is found nowhere else in
she world except in Yucatan and Hin
dostan. Whether the custom is still
kept up in Yucatan the writer is not
informed, bUi authors on matters
chronological have asserted that in he
long ago the native religion included
a snake celebration similar to that of
the Noquis', and for much the same
purpose. Their dance, however, Oc-
Cured only Cnce in eight years and
was considered a rite of the utmost
affecting scenes are witnessed on these
occasions. The aged and infirm would
attend in great numbers and weep as
they realized that before another eight
years rolled around they would be
called to their final accounting. The
traditions OF these Yucai. an Indians are
in effect that in the almost forgotten
past they sent missionaries to the far
cart to teach the people- In HindO-
C.1n, where the snake dance is also
celeb: ated similarly to both the M0quis
and Yucatan Indians, there is j legend
that their fOrefathers came from the
west to teach them, and they look
upon the west, or as would now b.
called .-ts east according to our reck-
Oning of the compass, VIZ, the Central
American coast, as the land of their
origin. The Moquis also have an Old
traditions that the white men would
come to than again land here it
should be remarked that they believed
'he early teachers were more like the
whites than like themselves) from the
east. Sure enough when they wers
first discovered by the present race CT
pale faces the said pale faces came
from tbs east.
Dr. MiIer was thoughtful enough
before setting out on his last VS., to
lake with him graphOphone which
was kindly provided by the Phoenix
Piano and Music house, and wt6h
which instr umeat he was enabled ID
.'eaptU-e' in tn enative tongue and
tone many Of their most ir.-ersting
EIcy.ar and songs- They were Ger the
most part the pRbI,c songs, but a few
specimens Of the sacred prayers wer'a
obtained in private by the courtesy OF
the chiefs, who were greatly amused
at their mechanical reproduction. The
W .'5sr had the privilege Of listening to
some Of them, but is to- honorable to
here repeat the sentiment CT what he
heard
Frank Tcu-a-whei, the Indian boy
who accompanied the doctor as IN
lteIpreter. also took the Antelope de-
grees with him and translated as the
initiation proceeded, the nature of
oaths takel and the duties that now
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