Snake Priest Regalia. August is the month the Hopi Indians hold their annual snake dances and ritual prayers for rain. In that month the Indians handle the deadly rattle-snake without apparent harm. During the rest of the year the Hopis avoid the snakes as much as any one else. This picture made some years back shows the authentic regalia of a snake priest ready for the rain dance. The painted wearer is not an Indian but a Prescott, Arizona, businessman who belongs to the "Smokis" a group pledged to keep alive the culture and customs of the American Indians.

Wide World Photos, Inc. · [ca. July 1946]

[Information from item housing] Indians: Wire Photos