1952 Hopi, again, wanted the Smoki banned, saying "The dances are sacred to the Hopi, like churches are to other people."

In 1952, the Hopi Indians once again launched a campaign to stop the Smoki from mocking their culture, and profiting from it.

White Men Mocking Sacred Dance, Indian Priest Says

Hotevilla, Ariz, Aug 28 - A priest of the Hopi Indians angrily denounced the white man for mocking the ancient and sacred Hopi rattlesnake dance.

1952, Aug 28  St Louis Post Dispatch 

The Hopi priest said the "smoki" people of Prescott, Ariz., made fun of the Indians' age-old rattlesnake ritual by performing it with white men in grease paint, who carry harmless bullsnakes in their mouths.
"They are making fun of our religion and we wish they would not continue," said Emil Pooley, who spoke for his uncle, a Hopi antelope priest.

Want it Stopped

Smoki Snake Dance Hit by Hopis as 'Mockery' 

Hotevilla, Ariz, Aug 27 - The chiefs and priests of the Hopi nation Wednesday accused the white man of making fun of their method of worshiping their god.
          Target of the bitter attack was a group of businessmen and residents of Prescott who call themselves the Smoki people and each year perform a snake dance like the Hopi.
          Wearing loincloths and greasepaint, and carrying live bullsnakes in their mouths, businessmen, clerks, railroaders, and teachers have performed the Smoki dance for 30 years
          For generations, the Hopi, carrying live and deadly rattlesnakes performed their snake dance on the reservation as a prayer for rain.
          The Smoki people said much study went into their dances, to make them authentic.
          But the Hopi priests said it was a mocker and should stop.
          Jack Williams, program manager of radio station KOY in Phoenix, was told of the red man's resentment when he attended a Hopi snake dance here.
          The priests interrupted their preparations for the sacred dance to give their message to Emil Pooley, nephew of Antelope priest George Nahsiwisichima, who is in charge of the ritual.
          "It may be old to you," Pooley said, "but this is our way of worship."
          "The dances are sacred to the Hopi, like churches are to other people."
          "The business people of Prescott call themselves Smoki and put on snake dances, which is against our rule," Pooley said the priests told him.
          "To our people this is mockery. They are making fun of our religion and we wish they would not continue."

1952, Aug 28   Arizona Republic 

          "We are not mocking their religion, but it seems like they are mocking our snake dances. We don't like it, but can't do anything about it." 
   The Smoki people have known of the Hopi opposition to their dance, though it had not been voiced in this way before.
          This year the Prescott group had an Indian band from Riverside, Calif, at their dance. And before the dance was held, Tom Segundo,  a (very young) leader of the Papago Indian nation, talked to the Smoki people at a pow wow and had no criticism.
          "The chief of the Smoki added, 'There is no attempt by the Smoki to mock the Hopi religious service.' "

[ A few items to note: The Hopis had, for many years, told the Smoki that they were mocking their religion - one that they described as being like a Christian Easter holy holiday. They also said that because a California Indian of the Papago nation, who apparently was brought in to perform with his band, said that he thought it was okay... so the Smoki things Tom Segundo must speak for all Indians, especially the Hopi.. right? To put it another way - if the Smoki were putting on a show that originated from Germany, and a representative from Italy said it was okay, does that mean the Italian speaks for all of Europe? No... it does not. But this is another excuse cultural appropriators made when they debate their cause. They bring in someone who has "Indian blood" or someone from another tribal nation to puff up their position. It's an old tactic that needs to be brought to light --- and stopped.] 
                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hopi May Bar White Man From His Sacred Rituals

          Flagstaff, Sept 24 -- The world-famous Hopi Indian snake dance, katchina dance and other ceremonials may be closed to white spectators, tribal leaders said today.
          The ban, if it comes, will be the result of white people failing to show proper respect for the sacredness of the Hopis' religious ceremonials and objects, they said.
          Barring of white spectators is under consideration because of a series of incidents which have irritated the Hopis and other tribes.

Disrespect is Thorn

          "We don't like it for the whites to show disrespect for our religion," said Andrew Hermequaftewa of the Hopi village of Shungopovi. "We hope we do not have to prohibit the whites from attending our ceremonies. We hope the whites will show more respect for our religious beliefs and customs.
          "It makes us very unhappy to see outside groups and individuals promoting our sacred ceremonies as spectacles and entertainments. If it doesn't stop, we may have to go into this matter of banning spectators from some ceremonies, perhaps all of them."
          The most recent incident to stir a furor in the Indian country of Arizona and New Mexico was a Harvard student's wearing a copy of a sacred Hopi Katchina costume at the Santa Fe, NM, fiesta early this month.

Pueblos Angry

          Last week end Hopi leaders went to Santa Fe to confer with Pueblo Indians about the matter. While the representation was that of a Hopi Katchina, the New Mexico Pueblos were indignant because their religious beliefs are very similar to those of the Hopis.
          Hopis said the Santa Fe incident involving William Field, 19, was the only one in which a white man dressed himself in the costume of a Katchina. [* I'll include those articles in my next post] 
          Recently some Hopis objected to performances by the Smokis of Prescott, an organization of white people who stage imitations of Indian ceremonials. The Indians termed these performances of Hopi ceremonials a mockery of their religion.

Wrong Symbolization

          The Hopis also were incensed last year when the Niman Katchina figure, erected at the state fairgrounds in Phoenix, was shown holding a war bow in its hand. The Indians explained this Katchina never appears with any object suggesting violence, but only peace, plenty, kindness, and "a good heart."

           The New Mexico Pueblo Indians have long since prohibited white spectators from attending sacred ceremonials and have urged the Hopis to do likewise.

          Hopi leaders explain that their ceremonials are performed to bring good things, including peace, harmony and plenty to all people, and for this reason they have permitted white spectators in spite of a long series of unpleasant incidents.

Religious Respect Asked

          "It's up to the whites," said Hermequaftewa. "Let them show proper respect for the sacred, holy character of our religious beliefs and ceremonies if they wish to continue to observe our dances. What occurs in this regard in the next few months will decide what happens." 

1952, Sept 25  Arizona Daily Star 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1952, Sept 24  Arizona Daily Sun 

1952, Sept 25  El Paso Herald Post 

1953 - Boy Scouts are being taught to disrespect the Comanche nation by imitating their snake dance.

1953, July 10   Brownwood Bulletin