The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1939-07-13
Indian Rainmakers
Of Southwest Hold
To Ancient Rites
The Traditional Corn Dance
BRINGS Moisture for
Annual Crops.

sANTO DOMINGO. NJ Mn
southwestern New Mexico rain Is q
matter of life and death. There live
the Keres Indians. who have Tor
centuries performed once each year
, colorful ceremony 20 which they
attribute the moisture that has CIV
en- them DEMONSTRATING crops.
The Koshares. the medicine men
Of the tribe, lead the supplication
70 the Keres' traditional father
the sly-in their corn dance beg.
ring their deity to allow rain to fan
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
soes to make the tribe one Of the
most peacefully devout and spiritu-
ally satisfied in the world.
The pueblo has held more to tt
ancient traditions than any other tn
the Southwest. To these simple peo-
pie the annual dance Of supplication
Is q 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 I'M
known even to the Indians them
selves.
Beliefs Remain Unchanged.
To these simple people the blue
sky IL 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
dams in their steadfast belief in the
simple but practical worship Of the
religion Of their ancestors.
The dance Of st. Dominic ID one
Of the most perfect survivals Of the
Indians ancient religious ceremo-
malls. While primarily q 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
rs 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
lcine men.
Women Also Participate.
The Koshares. or medicine men,
painted in ashen gray and chanting
in monotonous undertone. lead the
procession from the kiva. . 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. An 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.
Il is only in extra dry years that
nature fails the Keres Indians. Us
ually rains fan in the area . few
days following their dance. When
Il does rain shortly afterward, It
eorx,oe IN rovive fbo "a fh ri fhe In