Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-01-24

! tnelr demands on MS people, III
thev would court respect. he
returned, after a time to His home.
and two maidens of another people
accompanied him. He gave one of
these maidens to his brother. and that
night people from the underground
passed over their villages in the form
of clouds and entered their kivsa.
The next MOI ming they found these
clouds transformed into snakes,
| which were scattered abont over their
land. The maidens, who had re-
turned with Tiyo. interpreting this,
directed that the snakes be gathered
| from the fields, have their heads wash
ed and be permitted to join them in
the lance.
The snake dance ceremony as it is
observed today requires nine days.
The first four are consumed in gather
ing the snakes-rattlesnakes, bull
snakes, or any kind that can be found.
These snakes, ,squirming and unharmed
are placed in cart hern jars in an
underground kiva, and when at the
end of the four days, the gathering is
finished the snakes are taken from
these jars and washed. This part of
the ceremony is performed usually in
secret, but the white man who has
won the good graces of the priests is
sometimes permitted TO be witness.
Each snake priest takes a squirming
rattler or bullsnake, in either hand,
| Just below the head few inches,
seats himself on the floor of the kiva
before bowl of water, and at a
certain point in the weird chanting
sound of their ceremony which some
times rises almost to scream, the
older emerses the heads of the snakes
in the water.
After the washing of the snakes
until the morning of the ninth day,
there is very little of interest for the
spectator. The last day begins with
the snake race, which is simply
contest for honor between number OF
young racers who bear green corn and
melons from the fields to be used at
the feast, which follows the dance.
The dance usually begins in the
Iafternoon. tits largely attended by
a cosmopolitan crowd, and the roofs
of every hut and the top of every
eminence commanding the dance
plaza is completely covered with
onlookers. There are cowboys, tourists
rachmen, gaily clad Navajos, soberly
clothed Moki maidens, and dusky
MoSi tots of four years and under
without clothing at all, and all gaze
eagerly upon the dance plaza.
Presently the Antelope Priests,
clothed in fox skins streaked with red
and white paint, :enter the plaza,
marching in single file with majestic
mein. They are led by the chief and
medicine man, and each carries a
rattle. They march or hop around
the plaza to the left four times, and
then line up before green cotton
wood bower, called the kisi, facing
outward. As they pass, dancin g
around the plaza, their rattles are
kept going continually. Next comes
the Snake Priests They, more scantily
clothed, dance and hop around the
| plaza the same as the Antelope Priets,
hut more violently. AS they make
their fourth circuit and come mp facing
the Antelope Priests, there follows a
hideous humming and chanting for
several minutes, and the lines break up
into punches of three. The carrier"
of each bunch secures snake at the
kisi and the trio then dances around
the plaza with squirming reptiles.
All of the snakes are danced with in
this manner and then borne back tO
the fields, so that they may return to
the un lerworld with the Moki petition
for rain. The feast follows, aud
every Moki is happy.
CHARLES ALMA BYERS.