The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-30
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Snake men. They all regard the snak
as sacred, kind of intermediat
deity, who carries messages to thei
gods, and hence they have no fea
even of the rattle snake.
None of them who have not come
under the influence of the teachings
of the white man or who still cling tt
their heathenish beliefs, will kill any
kind of snake.
Last spring some of the school chill
dren found a hole in which were
quite number of different kinds Of
snakes aud one of the employees made
them kill them and throw them in the
fire. When this fact reached the vii
lages from ten to twenty miles away,
great crowds of the Indians came In
and made complaint to Mr.. Burton,
the superintendent at this place, and
stood around all day bewailing the cir.
cumstance and would not leave or be
reconciled to it, until the superintend-
ent assured them that he did not order
| it done or know of 1t.
There are great many ceremonial
dances practiced by these Indians dur,
ing the year, and all of them have
some reference to their crops and the
rains, but the snake dance is the most
important. ..
During the month of August of each
year this dance is performed in one OF
the other of two of their villages, al.
ternating between the two.
These Indians locate their villages
on top of the MEsAs, which are inn.
mense rock ridges rising hundred OF
more feet, almost perpendicular, above
the sandy plain below and are reached
only by the most tortuous windings
through and among the broken and
ragged Lodges of rock.
Standing on the plain below apd
looking up at these villages with their
peculiarly shaped huts, or houses, re-
minded me forcibly of the pictures
which I have seen of the cities and
villages spoken of in the Bible. The
reason for selecting such localities fol
their villages is on account Of the COM
parative safety which is thereby af.
forded them from the attacks of their
enemies.
The snake dance is a religious cere'
mony which they perform with as
much apparent solemnity as we do oul
most sacred rites; and, while it Is In
some respects a most grotesque spec,
tacle and even more nauseating than
the snake woman's performances at q
side show, it is in the main very fasci'
mating, 80 much 80 that / went to the
next village 10 see it repeated the fol-
lowing week.
About two weeks before the dance
is to come off one of the Snake Priests
announces from the house-top the ex-
act date when it ia to occur, the time
being determined by the day they cal
culate that the sun will reach a cer-
tain place on a particular rock.
Nine days before the dance is to oc-
cur their private ceremonies begin In
their HIvI, which is an underground
chamber having square entrance
from the surface around which is built
a wall of rock foot or two above the
level. Through this opening they en-
ter the hivi by means of a rudely con-
structed ladder made of poles.
There are several of these In each
village, and in each of which there is
an altar with fetch and representa-
tions of various things. On the eighth
day before the dance, the Snake men
90 out to the west in quest Of different
kinds of snakes; on the seventh to the
north ; on the sixth to the south, and
on the fifth to the east. If, by this
time they have not secured enough
snakes, then every one turns out on
the third day before for the purpose OF
capturing just as many as possible.
AS the snakes are caught they are put
in large vessels like Jars and there
kept until the day of the dance when
they are taken out and washed and
laid on an altar of sand which has
been carried down into the hivi fol
that purpose. :.
The day Immediately preceding the
dance they utilize in practice and 1t is
on this day that the Antelopes have
their public dance; but as 1t Is very
similar to the snake dance, with the
snakes omitted, and as these Ante.
lopes take part in the snake dance,
shall not undertake to describe it.
Long before the hour had arrived fol-
the performance to begin, which was
five o'clock in the afternoon, every
available space on the fiat roofs Of the
houses overlooking the dance place
was occupied by an excited crowd OF
spectators anxiously awaiting the COM
| Ing of the dancers.
The whole village where this dance
occurred is practically joined together
though the houses are of different
heights, some being only one story,
while the adjoining house may be two
or three stories high; 30 you can form
an idea of what a picture was present
ed with all of these house tops crowded
with white people intermingled with
Navajo and Moqui Indians in theil
brightest gala day attire, composed Of
all Imaginary colors.
The space occupied by the dancers
was not more than Is feet wide by q
feet long, and the performance wa:
witnessed by the spectators from tht
tops of the houses situated along tht
brink of the MESA at least q hundred
feet in perpendicular height above
From this view point can be Ser
stretching out in every direction a.
far as the eye can reach the sandy
plains, dotted here and there witt
fields of Indian corn and peach or
chards, and with the public roads lead
ing from Holbrook, Winslow anc
Keams Canyon looking like sheer
trails winding through the sand.
, At one end of the space occupied by
, the dancers is a high rock somewha
in the shape of mans head, callet
, the "dance rock" and about the mid
die of the side next the houses is th,
snake hivi in which the snakes in ,
bag are placed just before the dane
begins, the entrance to which is con
cealed by a bunch of limbs of the cot
ton wood tree, tied together with