ie INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 
All have certain features in common. Altars are made, 
prayer sticks are prepared and offered at various shrines, 
and there is much praying and singing in the kivas. 
During the kiva ceremonies, the participants smoke 
in turn, addressing each other with terms of relationship 
as the pipe or cigarette is passed. On the last two 
days of the ceremony there are usually foot races and 
public performances. 
The Snake Dance. 'The most widely known of these 
ceremonies is the snake dance which is held every 
second year in all the Hopi pueblos except Hano and 
Sichumovi. The dances of Walpi and Oraibi are 
those which attract the largest number of visitors. 
The ceremony is given jointly by the antelope and snake 
fraternities. The former is chiefly concerned with 
the rites in the kiva, while the latter, originally a 
warrior society, gathers and handles the snakes. 
To secure the snakes the snake priests go out in 
pairs provided with digging-sticks, with snake whips 
of feathers, and with bags of buckskin or canvas. The 
first day they go to the north, the second to the west, 
the third to the south, and the fourth to the east, for 
this is the ceremonial circuit of the Hopi. If a suff- 
ciently large number is not secured during the four 
days, snakes are sought in any place and at any time 
until enough are found. Those used are chiefly rattle- 
snakes, but bull-snakes and others are also employed. 
The snakes are usually found by following their trails 
in the dust. If a snake is uncoiled a little corn meal | 
is thrown toward it; it is seized by the neck, stroked 
gently, and placed in a bag. Should the snake coil, 
a prayer is said and tobacco smoke is blown toward it 
until it uncoils. If the trail of the snake leads to a 
hole it is dug out with a digging-stick. The snakes 
gathered are confined in pottery vessels in the kiva 
until they are wanted for the ceremony. | 
