Willmar tribune., 1900-10-24
SNAKE DANCE FOR PROFIT.
a. a Source of Liveliho0d-COm-
mercial Feature Prominent.

Auc COMutIcldl Splr1C mas taken
possession of the Moqui Indians of
Arizona, and they no longer allow
white tourists to witness their an
nual snake dance without compensat-
ing them. It is only within few
years that whites have been allowed
near the Indian settlements while the
dance was in progress. Camera fends
came with the tourists. and after the
Indians became convinced that their
religious ceremonies were being
turned into account by the onlookers
they resolved to have a share of the
unl looked-for prosperity. Besides, Ari-
zona has been parched with drought
to an unusual extent this summer,
and the Indians needed the money,
says the Chicago Tribune.
Nothing more revolving and horri-
BILE than this snake dance can we'll be
imagined. It is hard on the snakes
themselves, to say nothing of. those
who witness the strange ceremonies.
Eight days before the one great day
Of the dance the snake priests scour
the deserts for snakes. They cap
tured for the last dance about 200,
mostly rattlers from four to five feet
long, and penned them in a chamber
near the affairs. On the day of the
ceremony the antelope priests did
much of the preliminary dancing, and
the women sprinkled the sacred corn
meal everywhere it was supposed to
be essential. Meantime. the snakes
were removed to more convenient
pen near the dance ground All
seemed to be in readiness for the
grand dance of the occasion, and the
tourists secured commanding posi-
tions for their cameras. But there
was a hitch in the programme, and
the whites were informed that the
show would not proceed until a purse
of so many dollars was made up. The
show was deemed worth the price.
and the tourists passed the hat and
secured the amount.
Much of the ceremony was tedious
ly dull even for the Indians, but when
the snake feature was introduced
there was action enough for all. Fan
tastic were the clothes of the partici-
pants in the dance. They were new,
too, and gotten up for the occasion.
After the prayers and chants had
been sung the snake priests in groups
of three advanced to the pen of the
snakes. One from each group seized
snake, grasping the body in his
hands and putting the neck into his
mouth, the head to the left. The
other two members Of the groups
took parts in the ceremonies after
the dance had been completed, and
the snakes had been thrown upon
the ground. After each priest had
thrown his snake into the circle, and
the remaining snakes in the pen had
been released, on signal every priest
rushed for them, attempting to grasp
as many as he could.
No attempt was made to avoid bites,
and the angry and frightened rep
tiles coiled, hissed and struck at ram
dom until it seemed that every priest
in the wild scramble must have been
bitten time and again. ;. Later they re-
tired and dosed themselves with
powerful emetic. supposed to be an
antidote for snake bites. Then they
returned and took part in the weird
dance, and the feast which followed
it.. The antelope priests also reap
peared after, the snake dance, and re-
sumed the ceremonies of their rank.
Pulling strength Of Elephants.sa
TT IA dif47cn1t f0 esfimafa tho mill,
ing strength of an elephant, for the