File:Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1897) (14597792370).jpg

Identifier: annualreportofbu219smit (find matches)
Title: Annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Year: 1895 (1890s)
Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology
Subjects: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology Ethnology Indians
Publisher: Washington : U. S. Govt. Print. Off.
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Kahle/Austin Foundation and Omidyar Network

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s away it may be that an attempt to induce the Snakepriests to perform their dance for gain will be successful; but whenthat time comes the Snake dance will cease to be a religious ceremony,the secret rites will disappear, and nothing remain but a spectacularshow. Unusual Features During the public exhibition of the Walpi Snake dance in 1897several of the priests carried a tiny snake with the head protrudingfrom the mouth like a cigar. Kopeli explained this by saying that hehad found a Itrood of young snakes, but that they were not put in theCottonwood bower on account of theii small size and the consequentdifficulty in finding them. They were therefore held in the perform-ers mouths from the time they left their kiva. The authors attention was called by one or two of the spectators tothe fact that one of the Snake priests was bitten during the dance, butwhen the chief was asked for the name of the man bitten no information BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. Lll
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SUPELA AT ENTRANCE TO WALPI SNAKE KIVA FEWKEs) PARTICIPANTS IN WALPI SNAKE DANCE 979 in that respect could be elicited; he declared that no one had beenbitten during the exhibition. One of the writers party .says that hesaw one of the Snake priests with a small frog- in his mouth, whichis apropos of a statement bj- a responsible Indian that in former timesother animals than snakes were carried b\ the priests in their mouths.Subsequent interrou-ations of the chief failed to make known the manwho carried the frog in the way indicated. Number of Participants An enumeration of the participants in the last four performances ofthe Walpi Snake dance shows that the number is gi-adually increasing.The Snake society has become a very popular one, possibly on accountof the increase in the number of visitors. Several young men ofWalpi wish to join, and a man at the Middle Mesa declared that whilehe did not care to become a member of the Snake society of his ownpueblo he would nuu-h like to be eur

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