The Coconino sun., 1923-08-10
HOPINDIAN SAYS SNAKE
DANCES SHOULD STOP.

fdagSta1I, Arizona.
my Dear Sir:
have before me copy of your
paper containing a protest against
the message of the u. S. Commission
er Of Indian Affairs, the Honorable
c. Fl. Burke, to all the Indians as is
sued last spring.
Being a full-blooded Hopi myself
with my heart overflowing with love
for my fellow tribesmen, and jealous
for their progress in civilization, |
feel it time and incumbent for some
to write our views in this matter.
The Hopi Indian is a religious man.
He believes in the supernatural forces
of the world and realizes his depend
ance on them for life. His tradition
begins in the underworld from whence
he came His time was II say WAS
for it is not so NOW) composed of
endless religious ceremonies ere the
government teacher and missionaries
came. With their introduction of bet
ter learning and religious instruction,
the force of these ceremonies was
crushed, and, according to their tradi-
tion, led to the ruin of Oraibi and the
founding of Hotevilla and Bachai VIII
lagos. Most of the foremost ceremon-
les have been done away with led by
the Oraibi chief whose interest in OBJ
literating the old ways was great. The
snake dance has been discontinued in
Oraibl for many years and is only
carried on in a few other villages. But
with the coming of better understand
ing Of things worth while, these things
are passing away.
3 My dear sir, it is beyond my com.
prehension how a man of the intalli-
igenee of white man can wish that
the Hopis should continue in this dis
gusting ceremony of holding filthy
snake in ones mouth for five or ten
minutes at time. In the Judgment
of Hopi white man is superior
being, and naturally he desires to i'm
itate him. But when he comes year
after year, spending thousands of dol
lars in small hotels and cafes tingling
the greedy ears Of the portly inn-keep-
ers and then stretches out his covetous
hands to poor, dust-covered Hopi of
the desert with assumed friendly
smile only to sneer when meeting him
on his own town streets, the ever alert
acknowledgements" Hopi be-
gins to suspect rottenness in the game.
Has the great white man become so
low that he willingly spends hundreds
OF hard-earned dollars just to see an
ignorant Indian wriggle with his
god the snake? My soul,
keep thyself from presumptious. sins
IN throwing away means when thou
n1ightest feed the poor Herewith.
Your paper asserts that the stop
ping of this dance will be a disap-
pointment. Why so? Has it already
become vital part of the people of
Arizona when more than As per cent |
OF the Hopis do not care a smack for
its value any more?
Your paper also declares that ALL |
the Hopis regard the ceremony with /
deep veneration. | pray you, whence |
this information
On the contrary the many who
come again and again of your paper
are evidently so depraved as to find /
their satisfaction in such degrading
ceremonies. Perhaps they had better
consult the medicine men to locate
their troubles.
<Ac W tlkC IdCh VI 1dtdl1llCS l. WOulu
advise that the writer of the article |
inquire into this matter more care
fully. Many man who lives today
will testify contrarily to this. The |
sears on their bodies speak louder.
AS to coming in contact with the /
whites and learning better, l wish to
say that | am proud of my poor be- I
night people that though they lack |
they have enough decency
TO mark out a woman clothed in mud /
lty, ever admiring herself in a glass,
twisting her head like a reptile, ever
powdering her nose and painting her
lips and eyelids, as absolute shame
lessness. Is this civilization? Then
We had better stay where we are.
Tourists do not show their better side |
rs rule, but their blacxest side to a
quick-discerning Hopi. Bring us bet
ter qualities and we will welcome you.
Your paper also declares that "the /
Indians, however, will suffer financial
" because they will be deprived of the
thousands of dollars spent among
them each year by visitors to the /
snake dance and Others"
May / venture to guess that the /
writer was rather speaking for the
interest of the small village or town /
on the way here whose
pocket books swell to triple size dur
ing those days as the tourists find /
lodging and boarding there? Is this
another case of peace treaty with the
indian so plausibly and ambiguously /
worded as was done with our FORE
fathers?
The amount of money usually spent
among our people is so comparatively /
to those received by ho-
Tel and cafe keepers on the way here,
and, by the way, whose main existence
80 largely depend on the tourists, that
i is mockery to a Hopi to defend I
MS barbarism through this.
Friends, rouse up and look ahead /
Of the Hopi and see where you are
eading hinl Your taxes go to educ
ate himl You have brought him bet
.er ways and caused him to abandon /
his former pursuitsi
It is to you, people Of Flagstaff, I
Holbrook, and the distant
sities, that the Hopi looks for instruc-
don, Will you further fail him in
spite of your boasted knowledge?
THE SNAKE DANCE is A FAKE!
The snakes undergo vigorous train /
IA AL ;ncfood nf {ho 1a,,noxc - w.~.,~3