Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-08-31
MOQUI SNAKE DANCE.
IT DRAWS A BIG CROWD.
Indians Dance with Live Rattlssnakes
Held In Their Teeth-How They Avoid
Being Bitten.

On oribl mesa, Arizona. towering coo
ieet above the level OF the plain. the
Moqui Indians Oh the 10Th held their
annual snake dance. Fully 200 tour
lists witnessed the spectacle and the
many white tents made the place look
more like an army encampment than
an Indian pueblo.
The visitors from the East were near
~ nll artists or scientists, who were
accompanied by their wives. One OBJ
Ject OF the scientists Is To ascertain
how II is that the Indians are not polls
oned by the bite OF the rnttlesnakes,
which they carry about In their teeth.
For long time II was thought the
Moqui was immune To the bite OF u rat
tier. An investigation made by the
government proved that this theory
was Incorrect. hut the snake dance
was not suppressed because of the ex-
tremeiy small fatality Involved In the
AFFAIR and because II was believed that
the Indians had an antidote for the
venom OF snakes.
The opinion that the snakes used In
the dance Were "doctorcd'' was current
Tor n long time. In 1897 Dr. Tcwkes
OF the Smithsonian Institution Of
Washington upsc, that theory. He at-
tended the dance at waipi that year.
nni by bribin. an Indian he secured
several of the snakes used In the dance.
Carefully examining them. he found
'hnt their fangs had not been extracted
AMI TINT the snakes were perfect In cv-
cry respect.
''rhc Arizona ra,ii.r." said DIR.
T"wkcs. ''is unnbi. To strike without
first collinr. Tn" Moluis has taken
advantage OF this met nni In hnndiin.
the ruiilcr lie lakes every prccnuiion
no, Ia allow II To coil. lie IL mn expert
Mt this nni consequently lie IL very
rarely bitten.
The casual observer who Inns seen y
snake dance viii tell you positively
'hat he saw Indians bitten. That p.r.
hnps IL true. hut the Indians he saw
bitten were not bitten by rai'ir-nakcs.
Abou, two.thir,is of the snakes used In
the dances nr- rai,i".nnk-.: the others
arr af the n"n'v-n"Mons sorts. II l.
snake. of the latter varieties only that
the Indian. allow To- bite them.
ION entering the sinncv the indian.
60 in pair.. Some arr known as hug.
E.ss.' and other. q. '.nnkcncn.' The
'hnsr-r' carrie. ..rt .f wand tipped
with eagle feathers, The '.nnk~mnn'
ha. hi. mouth PAINTED ani his teeth
heavily covered with clay. so that he
will not cut the snakes skin when he
take. I, in his mouth. Toe-'hcr n
'hussvr' nnd '.nnt-mnn' 90 into the
.iane-. 'hnssrr' with his left arm aisnui
the crsu-hin. '.nak-man'.' neck.
AS they Ias. the Ei.i n snake 10
handed out To the '.nak~tnan.' By
careful handling II is n.' allowed Ia
coil. ani the '.nak-nan' place. II i-,-
twc~n hi. teeth with its bad pru'rud-
Ing niuus .is in.li-. h(,.ni the left
corner Of his mouth. Then. witt,
queer. s"at.iit- i-sI,.. they (" round
ani round the plaza. 'i,- 'husErs' will,
hi. wani all the while tickling n' the
snst-'. tail. The animal. natural i'm.
pui.- 1. to sirai..:'gn .u; nni run. u,
;hi. WAY u is Kept from cniiinT. an'l
thu. from striking. Should the snake
coil. however. II IL iTorr-,i as quick
q. Hash.
''tu suci, a ease an expert catcher
with a wand so-g. .n she plaza. isilis-
with the snake until II start. Z" run.
nni them. with s.-i true aim. he
CatCii-. IL -io.- up i-'hini the jaws 81.
thu, /, csnn., lite ani return. Il To the
Ei.i. where II 4. again handed ." the
'snak-man' VIII" drupis-i II.
'"Thi. long E.ssntiuu--i ssiuirtiiux "f
the shake in the Indians mouth ca'isS-s
him q. swallow an enormous quantity
uf saliva. which. after washing thr
snake. t-s.iy. 1. nausca'ire. T" relieve
himself after the dance he takes a
swallow If the brown iiluii which ls
brought, .ut hy the Moiui girls. This
-u-tic act. quicker than altno>; any
other drug known in the practir- "f
inc,iiCiur. have 'im-i strong htcks
ulsu many o<vasi"n.. ati have found
tina, the f-.tion had Its effect within
twenty to forty srys,nj. after II was
sx,oIfnxt .,t-