The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-12-01
Indian Rainmakers
OF Southwest Hold
To Ancient Rites
Traditional Corn Dance Brings
Moisture for Annual
Crops.

sANTO DOMINGO. N. MIN
southwestern New Mexico rain is
matter of life and death. There live
the Keres Indians. who have for
centuries performed once each year
a colorful ceremony to which they
attribute the moisture that has CIV
en- them DEMONSTRATING crops.
The Koshares, the medicine men
of the tribe, lead the supplication
to the keres' traditional father
the sky-in their corn dance beg
ging their deity to allow rain to fall
on their crops that burn in the south
ern New Mexico desert land.
Most Peaceful Tribe.
This primitive dance is the eli
max of the Keres' religion and the
annual performance of the rite
with the autumn rains that follow
goes to make the tribe one of the
most peacefully devout and spiritu-
ally satisfied in the world.
The pueblo has held more to its
ancient traditions than any other in
the Southwest. To these simple peo-
pie the annual dance of supplication
is dance to the spirits their ances
tors worshiped. After the coming
of the Spaniards and Christianity
the dance was named in honor of.St.
Dominic. who was given them
by the Spanish padres as their pa
tron, but the ceremony itself re-
mains unchanged.
The St. Dominic dance originated
in antiquity and the meaning of
many of its symbolic portions is un-
known even to the Indians them
selves.
Beliefs Remain Unchanged.
To these simple people the blue
sky is the father and the earth the
mother of all creation. Early teach
ing by missionaries, oppression by
the Spaniards and later government
schools have failed to shake the In
dians in their steadfast belief in the
SliilpIC U4b III dStlldl WI olllJ Va AllI
religion of their ancestors.
The dance of St. Dominic is one
of the most perfect survivals of the
Indians ancient religious ceremo-
malls. While primarily a plea for
rain. the dance really is an elab-
crate prayer for the fertilization
and preservation of the fields of
corn upon which the people depend
as their principal item OF diet.
The actual dance starts early in
the morning, following the only
Christian rite of the ceremony, the
marriage of couples who have pre-
viously been married by tribal med
icine men.
Women Also Participate.
The Koshares, or medicine men,
painted in ashen gray and chanting
in monotonous undertone, lead the
procession from the kiva, a circular
underground chamber used for the
tribes secret ceremonies. Fol-
lowing the Koshares, whose bodies
are painted with symbols and whose
hair is tied with corn husks and
pasted with mud, are long lines Of
men and women, placed alternate
ly. As these dancers reach the
town plaza they form in two straight
/ lines. All of the Indians hold their
positions in the dance with the ex-
ception of the Koshares, who move
in and out of the weaving lines ex-
horting their tribesmen to greater
frenzy. During the daylong dance,
only the medicine men gesture to
the sky in an appeal for rain.
1t is only in extra dry years that
nature fails the Keres Indians. U.s.
ually rains fall in the area few
days following their dance. When
it does rain shortly afterward, it
serves to revive the faith of the In
dians in their ancient beliefs.