Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-12-31
Arizona Indians, Far Removed
From Civilization, Cling to
Ancestral Customs.
As IN DAYS BEFORE COLUMBUS
,Mokiland 10 the Richest Part Of the
Union for Prehistoric Exploration
Medicine Man Determines
Date for Snake Dance.

Smithsonian Psychologists say that
ithe most interesting aboriginal cere-
monies performed nowadays in Amer
among the Moki Indians, who live in
northeastern Arizona. Scarcely touch
ed by our civilization and clinging to
ancestral customs, III. G. Tinsey tells
the Dearborn Independent, the MOkis
perform during the last days Of each
August dances and rites in propitia-
tion Of their god Of rain, identical
with those of their ancestors ages be-
fore Columbus sailed from Spain.
Mokiland, or the province of Tusuy-
ian as the Spanish named 1t in the
Yearly part Of the sixteenth century, is
1.-THE richest part Of the Union for pre-
historic exploration. Cities of strong.
intelligent people iourished here in
1.-THE time Of the Caesars. Ruins Of
heather temples, which crumbled be-
fore the Montezuma dynasty began,
lie among the drifting sands. The
Hand Of the Mokis abounds in an
Client traditions still kept in their
pristine freshness.
Studying Mokis' Customs.
This month two score Of American
Aethnologists and Psychologists. besides
|some from Europe, have gathered In
THE Moki pueblos to study the Gus
Items, habits, thought and traditions
lof man In prehistoric America. as they
have come down through generations
l0f Mokis.
Spanish adventures under Cor
,snad0 reckoned In 1912 that there
were about 1900 souls In the Tusuy-
lan confederacy Of Moki tribes. Now
there are but q few hundred Mokis.
They are known also as Hopis; and
their name signifies peace loving.
They have a tradition that several
hundred years ago the warlike
'Apaches waged a terrific war against
1.-THE tribe. The remnant OF the Mokis
Ned In terror and took refuge on the
two great tablelands of red sandstone
which rise sheer some 20 feet out Of
u vast sea Of sand. The great rocky
fOrmatiOn has been veritable Gil
brgltar of defense to the tribe and from
the day the ancestral Mokis fled they
and their descendants have dwelt
there isolated. Rain Is the all-essen-
HAL element in the success of Moki
Agriculture, and In the desert region
rains come capriciously.
The date of the Moki snake dance
liz determined by an old medicine man
I'm the tribe. When during August the
isun at Its setting glints the sacred
rock that stands before the door of
the tribal kiya, the old medicine man,
iHoni, mounts the highest point at
either Walpi or Oraibi and solemnly
gives notice that 16 sunsets hence the
solemn snake ceremonies will take
place. He ends by invoking all to be-
gin immediate preparation for the oc-
lcasion. The women are to bake for
"a tribal feast, to dress themselves and
their children In their best garments,
and the men are to perform their sew
leral parts In the ceremonies.
A certain number Of young men, ap-
pointed for the purpose, start out at
next dawn to perform their part of
the preparation for the dance They
are jakulali (snake gatherers). They
roam over the desert with a forked
stick in one hand and bag made Of
skins In the other. They know where
Ito look for rattlesnakes and some
times they get more than 200 serpents
I'm week. They plant the forks of
their sticks over the neck of the re-
cnmbent snake, and by an adroit move
ment throw the reptile into the bag
The serpents are brought to the pueblo
and turned over to the old snake
priests.
The Preliminarics.
Six days after the official announce