The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-12-09
n. prsllmlnarl... ].

mysterious rites among u Of the fore
most men In the Moki tribe begin Ii
chamber bewn into the rock down be
low the pueblo This II TIE klva
the holy Of HOLES ~ NOkl bolief
DR.. J. Walter Fewks Of The Dnithson.
ian institution Il fhe only whifs pssson
who has ever entered the kivn. and be
says that the ceremonies thore ednsis,
10 washing the serpents captured and
brought there b. yOung mSAs The old
men engHGe In 'baTbaric Ihcnntofjona.
and chant appeals to the oofptnts to
bear messages Of devotion and friend
ship 70 the powers that rule the rain
clouds. The snake priests wear moth
Ing to protect Themselves from the rep
tiles fanEs, Each day they wash the
rattlesnakes. sprinkle sacred cOrumeal
on the serpents' heads. and deposit the
creatures In Jars. Meanwhile the Mokl
housewives cook and bake In prepAra-
lion for the event Of the yeEr-the
snake dance on the plaza Of the pu-
ebIo. The gaudiest tribal nnefy is
brought forth and made ready. White
and Navajo Indian visitors come across
the desert to see the public ceremonies
and for week all MokilEnd bustIes
end buzzes.
At the setting of the sixteenth sun
rom the official announcement by old
Honi the snake dance takes place. Late
In the afternoon the spectators arrange
themselves In vantage spots overlook
Ing the plaza where the dance 10 per-
formed. Some $500 persons gre gen.
orally on hand TO zee the ancient mar
veIous ceremony. The roofs Of the
squat stone houses are crowded. Moi
children with scarcely stitch on them
sit along the cornices with their brown
legs hanging down. There are COW
boys from all over the territory, report
rs from newspapers. scientists from
the cities. and hundreds Of Indians in
brilliant and quEint costumes. 1t Ii
q rare scene zone nt for salon pic
ture," said an enthusiastic artist The
white people laugh, the dogs and chill
dren make tumult, while every one
awaits the opening Of the dance. At
just about six O'Clock, when the sun
Ia dropped into the yellow desert
away to the west. some one calls:
Here they come" Instantly there Ia
silence. Everybody knows that the
anteloI men-young athletic snake |
at last issuing from their
stone chambers. The braves are
scantily clad, and on each leg 10 a
small terrapin shell. In which are
placed small pebbles, which rattle as
the warrior moves, and make of him,
In sound at least. human RATHER.
The dancers are smeared with red.
white and black paints. Around erch
brow IL bound flaming handkerchief,
the upper forehead being painted a
deep black. and the lower half with
black and white bands.
Live Snakes in Their Mouths.
The band forms in a circle and .
sack Of serpents is brought forth and
is placed In the branches OF cotton
wood shrub known as the kisi just
where 1t has stood on Moki dance
lays for countless generations. A
chief. hideously painted opens the
sack and as each brave marches past
rom IT several writhinS serpents.
which he hands to the buck. The
snake dancer bends and selzes the
snakes by their middle with his teeth.
while he holds one or two serpents In
each hand. The serpents rattle, hiss
nd ofr oil hn h,.t, |
ors, gesticulatlng and stamping. join
n solemn rhythmic movement, In
which, after each man has been sup
,lied with serpents, the whole band II
loon participating.
The Moki women and the several
hundred Moki bucks who do not par
icipate In the dancing at first sit In
mute awe. As the dance proceeds the n
spectators start low hum
ming. which gradually develops. Loud
u and louder rises the din OF dis
,ordant voices until the women be-
ONE wildly excited. and leap to
heir feet. Meanwhile the dance goes
N. The dancers gllsten with per
plration and the paint on their
'odies runs down their bare backs
md legs. Some OF the older ones.
o show their prowess with venomous
eptiles, carry three and ave rIt-
lesnakes about with them. They
weave the snakes about their heads.
hey coll them In huge balls and toss
hem up and down; they twine them
bout their necks and tuck them b.
ween the belts Of their kits and their
ude waists. and carry them. held at
he middle. In their mouths. All this .
line they are hopping about the Sun
aked plaza. Now they circle about
he kisi with their burden OF serpents
n their hands. Then at a signal by
Id Kopall, the snake chief, the dane
RS form In threes. and with the snakes
rigging for freedom In their hands,
hey march backward and forward.
mother signal and they form In Z row
nd toss the serpents to and fro. Then
he dance starts anew. More circllng,
larchings and counter-marehings In
mes. twos and threes. Occasionally q
eptile wrlggles itself loose from an
indians hand II Is however Instant