INTRODUCTION. 



The Snake ceremony takes place in Oraibi, as in the other villages, 

 every other year, alternating with the great and complicated Flute 

 ceremony. The number of participants, however, has in later years 

 been smaller than in the other villages. This is due to the fact that 

 a part of the members of the Snake Fraternity in Ordibi belong to the 

 conservative or hostile faction (so-called because they are opposed to 

 schools, building of American houses, etc.), and a part to the faction 

 that are friendly to the Americans and take kindly to the plans of the 

 Indian Department. The relation between these two factions is of 

 such a nature that they will very seldom co-operate in a ceremony. 

 For instance, the leaders and the sacred paraphernalia of such Soci- 

 eties as the Soyal, Powamu, Ooqol, and others, belonging to the liberal 

 party, only very few of the conservatives will participate in any of 

 those ceremonies; while, on the other hand, very seldom a liberal will 

 take part in such ceremonies as the Blue Flute, Snake, etc., which are 

 controlled by the conservative faction. Not a single member of the 

 liberal faction has participated in the Snake ceremony in Oraibi for 

 the last ten or twelve years. This applies to both Fraternities, the 

 Snake and the Antelope, with the exception that in 1900 one young 

 man, belonging to the liberal faction, was one of the participants in 

 the Antelope kiva.' 



These observations were made under two different Chief Snake 

 priests, twice under Macdngontiwa (see B," PI. 150) and once under 

 Puhdnomtiwa (see A, PI. 15 1 ), who acted as chief priest for the first time 

 in 1900. There are at present four Chief Snake priests living in Ordibi : 

 Kdktiwa(see A, PI. 150), who lost his position when the rupture occurred 

 between the two factions, and he identified himself with the liberal 

 faction; Macangcintiwa, who incurred the ill will of the Antelope priest 

 and had a quarrel with him, that led to his disqualification as chief 

 priest and even as participant in the ceremony of 1900; Puhtlnomtiwa, 

 who acted as chief priest in that year, but on account of a quarrel with 

 his wife was considered unworthy to do so in 1902; and Sik^hongniwa, 

 one of the older priests, who was installed as chief priest for the cere- 

 mony in the last-named year. (See B, PI. 151.) It remains to be 

 seen who will act as chief priest in 1904, but in all probability, 



• For further explanations on this point see Introduction to "The Oraibi SoyAl Ceremony," 

 Vol. III., No. I, published by the Museum. 



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