The Grit-advocate., 1900-08-31
MOQuI SAAKE DANCE.
1T DRAWS A BIG CROWD.
Indians Dance with Live RattIesnakcs
Held in Their Teeth How Thcy Avoid
Being Bitten.

'Iouul Indians on the lJfll held their
nrnual snake dance. Fully 200 tour
ssts witnessed the spectacle and the
many white tents made the place look
more like an army encampmcnt than
an Indian pueblo.
The visitors from the East We're near
~ all artists or scientists, who We're
accompanied by their wives. One OBJ
,ect Of the scientists is to ascertain
how ii is that the Indians are not pois-
oucd 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 Il rat
.ler. An Investigation made by the
government proved that this theory
was incorrect. But the snake dance
vas not suppressed because of the eX-
remedy small fatality involved in the
affair and because it was believed that
the Indians had an antidotc for the
venom of snakes
The opinion that the snakes used in
rhe dance were "doctorcd" was current
FOR a long time. In 1897 Dr. Tewkes
IF the Smithsonian Institution of
Washington upset that theory. He at
cended the dance at Walpi that year.
and by bribing an Indian he secured
Carefully examining them. he found
hat their fangs had not been extracted
and that the snakes were perfect In ey
.ry respect.
The Arizona rattIer." said Dr.
Fewkes. ''is unable to strike without
1rst cofling. The Moquis has taken
advantage of this fact and in handling
che rattler he takes every precaution
not to allow it to coil He is an expert
st this and consequently he is very
"orely bitten.
The casual observer who has seen n
snake dance will tell you positively
that he saw Indians bitten. That per-
hnps is true, but the Indians he saw
ntten Were not bitten by rattlesnakes.
About two-thirds of the snakes used in
the dances are rnttlesnakcs; 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
20 in pairs. Some are known as hug
GERS and others as 'snakemen.' The
'hugger carries a sort of wand tipped
with eagle feathers The 'snakeman'
mas his mouth painted and his teeth
heavily covered with clay. so that he
will not cut the snakes skin when he
takes 1t in his mouth. Together
'hugger' and 'snakeman' go into the
dance, 'hugger' with his left arm about
the crouching 'snakeman's' neck.
AS they pass the kisi snake is
handed out to the 'snakeman.' BY
careful handling it is not allowed to
coil, and the 'snakeman' places it be-
tween his teeth with it's head protrud-
ing about six inches beyond the left
corner of his mouth. Then, with
queer, goat-like leaps. they go round
and round the plaza, the 'hugger' with
mis- wand all the while tickling at the
snakes tail. The animals natural i'm
pulse is to straighten out and run. In
this way it is kept from coiling, and
thus from striking. Should the snake
coil, however, it is dropped as quick
as 4 flash
In such case an expert catcher
with wand goes on the plaza. dallies
with the snake until it starts to run,
anil then, with good true aim. he
catches it close up behind the jaws SO
rhat it cannot bite and returns it to the
kisi. where it is again handed to the
>nakeman' who dropped it.
This lOng-continued squirmng of
the snake in the Indians mouth causes
him TO swallow an enormous quantity
Of saliva. which, after washing the
snakes body. is nauseating. To relieve
himself after the dance he takes II
swallow of the brown liquid which is
brought out by the Moqui girls. This
ametic acts quicker than almost any
pther drug known in the practice of
medicine. l have timed strong bucks
upon many occasions. and | have found
hat the potion had its effect within