The state herald., 1900-08-31
MOQUI SNAKE DANCE.
1T DRAWS a BIO CROWD.
Indians Dance with Live Rattlesnakes
Held In Their Teeth-How They Avoid
Being Bitten.

On Oribi mesa, Arizona, towering GOO
feet above the level Of the plain, the
Moqui Indians on 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
ly all artists or scientists, who We're
accompanied by their wives. One oh
ject of the scientists Is to ascertain
how 1t Is that the Indians are not pols-
oned by the bite of the rattlesnakes,
which they carry about In their teeth.
For long time It was thought the
Moqui was immune to the bite of n rat
tier. An investigation made by the
government proved that this theory
was incorrect. But the snake dance
was not suppressed because of the eX-
trencly small fatality involved in the
affair and because 1t was believed that
the Indians had an antidote for the
venom of snakes.
The opinion that the snakes used In
the dance were "doctored" was cuffent
for long time. In 1897 DIR. Tewkes
| of the Smithsonian Institution of
Washington upset that theory. He at
tended the dance at Walpi that year,
and by briblng an Indian he secured
several of the snakes used in the dance
Carefully examining them. he found
that their fangs had not been extracted
and that the snakes were perfect In ev-
cry respect.
'1'he Arizona rattler." said DIR.
Tewkes, sis unable to strike without
first coillng. The Moquis has taken
advantage of this fact and In handling
/ the rattler he takes every precautiOn
not to allow 1t to coil He Is an expert
at this and consequently he is very
rarely bitten.
The casual observer who has seen n
snake dance will tell you positively
that he saw Indians bitten. That per-
hnps is true, hut the Indians he saw
bitten Were not bitten by rattlesnnlses.
About two-thirds of the snakes used In
the dances are rattlesnakes; the others
are Of the non-venomous sorts 1t Is
snakes Of the latter varieties only that
the Indians allow to bite them.
''On entering the dance the Indians
go In pairs. Some are known as hug
gers and others as snakemen.' The
'hugger' carries n sort of wand tipped
with eagle feathers. The 'snakeman'
has his mouth painted and his teeth
heavily covered with clay. so That he
! will not cut the snakes skin when he
| takes II In his mouth. Together n
'hugger' and a 'snakcman' 20 into the
dance. 'huggcr' with his left arm about
the crouching 'snakeman's' neck.
''As they pass the kisi snake is
handed out 10 the .'snakemnn.' BY
careful handling II is not allowed 10
! coil. and the 'snakeman' places II be
| tween his teeth with its head protrud-
ing about six inches beyond the left
corner of his mouth. Then, with
| queer. goat-like leaps. they 20 round
and round the plaza. the 'hugger with
| his wand all the while tickling at the
snakes tail. The animals natural i'm
pulse is 10 straighten out and run. In
| this way II Is kept from coillng. and
thus from striking. Should the snake
| coil, however, II is dropped as quick
ms n flash.
in such case an expert catcher
1 with wand goes on the plaza. dallics
with the snake until II starts 10 run,
and then. with good true aim. he
catches II close up behind the jaws 50
that II cannot bite and returns II TO the
! kisi. where II Is again handed to the
'snakcman' who dropped 1t.
This long.continued squirning of
the snake In the Indians mouth causes
him to swallow an enormous quantity
of saliva, which. after washing the
snakes body Is nauseatlng. To relieve
himself after the dance he takes II
swallow of the brown liquid which Is
brought out by the Molui girls. This
cmetlc acts quicker than almost any
other drug known In the practice OF
medicine. have timed strong bucks
upon many occasions. and have found
that the potion had Its effect within
twenty to forty seconds after II WAS
| swallowed"