Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-08-28

tidote that at once counteracts the rattler's poison. This antidote is said to be made by an old woman of the tribe, and it is claimed that she is the only person in the world possess ing the secret.
 Each Indian, as he carried a snake in his hands and the neck of the rep tile in his mouth, was trailed behind by another Indian, who went through the motion of tickling the tail of the snakes. ta It was noticed by many at the dance that the Indians did not take the chance of being bitten by ratlesnak- es as they did with the bull snakes and red racers. Every time they placed a rattlesnake in their mouths, the head of the rattler was close to their mouth, so that the snake could not sting: They seemed to fear the other snakes less, for sometimes there was as much as foot of snake- (bull snake and red racers)Nportrud- ing in front of the faces of the danc- CTS. . After dancing with each snake for awhile, the Indians would throw them down and they were gathered up by two Indians. These two redskins were quick on their job and seldom missed the first grab they made. A few times the snakes almost got away and started for the lines of spectators. Then came screams from the women. But the two managed to keep the snakes from escaping. These two, after they picked up the snakes, hand ed them to the antelope dancers, who held the reptiles until the snake SUD- ply in the kiva had been exhausted.
 After all the snakes had been danc- ed with, the antelope dancers walked over about twenty feet and dropped the entire number into one pile. Corn meal was sprinkled on the pile, and before the snakes had time to scatter Gone or two did get away several feet and crawled under a crowd of specta- tors), four Indian men grabbed all in their arms and ran to four places on the mesa, one to the north, another south, another east, and another west. At these four places the snakes were released. This ended the festivities.
 The Hopi Indian snake dance is unique and entirely unlike any other Indian rite, and annually attracts hun dreds of tourists from all over the state as we'll as from various parts of the United States.
 The religious ceremonies of which the famous dance with live rattle snakes in the culmmation, extends over a period of nine days and is the annual Hopi custom in the dry season of the year, of praying for rain. They i believe that the snakes, released, after their participation in the dance, carry the message of supplication into the underground regions.
 These ceremonies are usually held sometime between August 15 and Au- gust 25 of each year. ..., |
 For the first five days of the cere- monies, the snake priests of the Hopi tribe SCOUT the country round about for rattlers. When one is found it is placed in buckskin bag and brought back to the "kiva" and deposited in a bottle until the day of the dance.
 On the ninth day, all preliminary rites having been accomplished, the Hopis are ready for the big dance. First the snakes are immersed in one squirming mass, in a huge bowl of holy water. Then the priests grab them out and hurl them on a circle of sand, where they wriggle about until the holy water can be distributed ac- cording to the sacred custom on trails leading to the four points of the com pass.
 . One of the few savage customs still enduring in the west, despite the march of progress, is this dance.
 The snake dance annually attracts number from various parts of the | United States, being so weird and bar barrie that they seem to belong>to an- other age. l, ,....
 Continuing for nine days, the snake dance ceremonies are preceded by a flute ceremony, participated in by two flute organizations. These ceremon- ies culminate in A spectacular foot |