CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-09-06

On Oribi mesa, Arizona, towering 600
feet above the level OF the plain, the
Moqui Indians on the 10th held their
annual snake dance. Fully 30 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
iy all 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 pois-
oned by the bite OF the rnttlesnakes,
which they carry about in their teeth.
|. For a long tipe It was thought the
Moqui was Immune to the bite Of a rat
tier. An Investigation made by the
government proved that this theory
wns incorrect. But the snake dance
was not suppressed because of the ex-
tremely small fatality Involved In the
AFFAIR and because II was believed that
the Indians had nm antldote for the
venom of snakes.
The opinion that the snakes used in
the dance were ''doctored' was current
for long time. In 1897 Dr. Tewkcs
of the Smithsonian Institution OF
Washington upset that theory. He at
and by br;0ing nm 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.
''The Arizona rattler," said DIR.
Tewkes. els unable to strike without
first coiling. The Moquis has taken
advantage of this fact and in handling
the rattler he takes every precaution
not to allow II to coil. He is an expert
at this and consequently he is very
rarely bitten.
The casual observer who has seen a
snnke dance will tell you positively
that he saw Indians bitten. That per-
haps IS true. but the Indians he saw
bitten were not bitten by rattlesnakes.
About two-thirds OF the snakes used In
the dnpcs-s are rattiesnnkes: the others
are OF the uon-venomous sorts. II is
snakes Of the latter varieties only that
the Indians nllow to bite them.
"On entering the dance the Indians
go In pairs. Some are known as hug
GERS and others as 'snakemcn.' The
'hugKer' carries a sort OF wand tipped
with eagle feathers. The 'snakemnn'
hns his mouth painted and his teeth
heavily covered with clay. 10 that he
will not cut the snakes skin when he
takes II In his mouth. Together n
'hugger' and 'snakeman' 20 into the
dance. 'huggcr' with hi. left arm about
the crouching 'snakemnn's' neck.
LAS they pass the kisi snake II
handed out to the 'snakeman' BY
careful handling Il IL not allowed to
coll. and the 'snakemnn' 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 go round
and round the plaza. the 'huggcr' with
his wand all the while tickling mt the
snakes tail. The animals natural i'm
pulse is 10 strnightcn out and run. In
this way 1t Is kept from coiling. and
thus from striking. Should the snake
coil. however. II Is dropped as quick
ns n fash.
I'm xush case mn expert catcher
with n wand goes on the plaza. dalilcs
with the snake until Il starts to run.
and then. with good true MIN. he
cntches Il close up behind the jaws 40
that II cannot bite and returns II to the
kfsi. where II IN again handed To the
'snalseman' who dropped II.
This long-continucd squirming OF
the snake in !he Indians mouth causes
him to swallow an enormous quantity
OF saliva. which. after washing the
snnke's body. Is nausenting. To relieve
himself after the dance he takes n
swallow OF the brown liquid which Is
brought out by the Moqui girls. This
emetic acts quicker than almost any
other drug known In the practice OF
medicine. ! have timed strong bucks
upon many occasions, and l have found
that the potion had Its effect within
twenty to forty seconds after It was
swallowed"