1926: The Smoki Indians put on a better show.. while a Hopi chief begs Washington to continue their sacred, ancient rites.

1926, June 11  Arizona Republic 

                                                                         
     Festival Origin Unique

"The big hit of that first day was a snake dance, a dance that was suggested by a young man of Prescott and intended to be an amusing travesty of the Hopi Indian snake dance; even the name of "Smoki" was a play upon Miki*, as these Indians were formerly called."
(this appears at the bottom of the below article)

1926, June 11  Arizona Republic 

Note * - By the time the Smokis formed a tribe and named themselves, the Hopi changed their name, saying that Moki - as many newspapers, traders, government officials, etc called them - meant "dead" in the Navajo language. They did not find this word fitting to their people, and asserted themselves - asking to be referred to as Hopi.

This change occurred a good 20 years prior to the Smokis' labeling themselves - which adds either a bit of humor, or an insult, to their actions - depending on how you look at it. 

In 1926, an estimated 5000 to 10,000 people were expected to see the Hopi dance - the real one - that August. It was later reported that it was closer to 5000, which is an excellent showing. 

1926, Aug 2   Arizona Republic 

Photos from the real Hopi Snake Dance.

1926, Aug 13   Marshfield News Herald 

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Meanwhile.....
August 9, 1926, The Morning Call 
Chief Soloftoche and his tribe are coming to Allentown, but just a moment, no use to run and lock up the silver, there is nothing to be alarmed about. Soloftoche is not a foreign desperado nor a Bolshevick. He is one of the citizens of the United States. Soloftoche is a Hopi Indian Chief from Northern Arizona. With him at Dorney Park will be Kolchortowah, Setalla, Pouyah, Quamaquap, Tweah, lesser chiefs of the Hopi tribe. They are representatives of the one thousand members of their tribe that live in the cliffs at Shomopavi, Arizona.

Chief Soloftoche and his tribe are in the custody of Edythe Sterling, America's most beautiful cow-girl from Phoenix, Arizona. This group recently left Washington DC, where the Hopis danced before Congress to preserve their ancient dances. The Hopi still cling to the customs, dress and religion of their forefathers. They pray through dances. Their dances have been attacked by certain parties who have asked that they should be suppressed. Patrons of the fine arts have come to the rescue of the Hopi. They say the Indians should be permitted to worship as they believe, and that the dances are aesthetic and poetical.

1926, Aug 9  The Morning Call 

Chief Soloftoche and his tribe are on the warpath. They have donned their dancing moccasins and declared they are going to give the white people an eye full and let them be the judges for themselves. They will dance the Hopi snake dances with the live snakes, the Buffalo dance, the Victory War dance, the Scalp Dance, the dance of evolution and many others whose significance are prayers to the Great Father in Heaven. 

Chief Soloftoche and his men fight to retain their sacred dances and religious freedom for the Hopi people. 

1926, Sep 18  Wilkes Barre Times Leader.
The Evening News 

While the Hopis fight for the right to worship as the please, the Smokis ALSO go on tour.

At the same time.

Smokis to Charm Philadelphia 

1926, Sep 22  Arizona Daily Star 

          Prescott is to be congratulated.

          So is the ancient and honorable tribe of Smoki Indians.
          The Smoki tribe, it might be explained to those unacquainted with the lineage of Arizona's redmen, are not redmen at all, but white men (under the grease paint) who, for several years, have been staging annual snake dances similar to those of the Hopi Indians. The Smoki dances, held usually in July, have grown until they are an institution in northern Arizona and a credit to Prescottians who have expended much time and effort in portraying Indian customs, which sooner or later will be drowned in the advance of civilization. Of the Smoki rituals, the Journal-Miner (Prescott) says:
          "The Smoki haven't any veneer of art to conceal the intrinsic steps and posturings of their prototypes. They don't know the first thing about accepted "art of the dance." They do dramatize and build to a better climax than the Indians themselves do, and they add greatly to the spectacle value of the original rites, but they don't harm or change in any way the fundamentals."

[ ---  translation: we put on a better show, but we still mock the dance enough so that you'll think you're watching something really special. Some come see our show instead of the boring Hopi's. ---] 

1926, Sep 22  Arizona Daily Star