The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 63

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER. 63

‘The dance begins shortly after sunset and is kept
up till sunrise. The dancing consists in a graceful,
slow movement to and from the middle of the danc-
ing-ground, where a large fire is burning. ‘The
dance resembles the movement of the dolls in a pup-
pet show, so little do they move their bodies. ‘They
dance singly, or at most hold one another’s hands.
Six men, with fantastic head-gear and masks, and
one official clown furnish amusement for the large
number of spectators. The music is furnished by
a number of singers accompanied by the monoto-
nous beating of tom-toms.

The girls in whose honor the dance is given are
elaborately dressed and bedecked with beads and
eagle feathers. In the morning, just as the first
rays of the sun fall on the weird scene, the girls
kneel in the middle of the dancing-place, and as the
medicine-man sprinkles them with sacred yellow
meal (pollen), he offers up a prayer for their fruc-
tification. Practically everything in connection with
the devil dance seems to have phallic significance.
That is not surprising. All heathendom runs true
to form, whether practised by uncultured aborigines
or by the inhabitants of palaces on the boulevard.
Paul describes them accurately in the first chapter
of Romans.

6. In conclusion just a few remarks on the
progress of the Apache tribe.

Numerically they are increasing slightly every
year.

Economically there is steady progress. Work is
more plentiful than formerly, and many of the men
are able to compete with their white brothers in
' finding employment in mines, on ranches, in shops,
on highway crews. ‘hey are beginning to build
houses, buy automobiles, sewing-machines, talking-
machines, and the like.

Intellectually they are moving onward. They
are beginning to appreciate the value of education.
A large percentage are able to read, write, and speak
English. A few even read daily papers. The tribe
as a whole, however, is still on a low intellectual
level. 4

Morally they are just as low as they were when
they were subdued, possibly even lower than they
were at that time: The improvement of economic
conditions and the raising of. the intellectual level
do not bring moral improvement. To be in position
to enjoy the modern inventions of science and to
possess a. trained intellect does not make a sinner
better morally. In fact, the so-called “educated”
Apaches are often the biggest scoundrels and great-

est trouble makers. ‘They are just too smart for
their own good and for the welfare of their fellows.

But there is also a spiritual progress. And it is
quite marked in some individuals. The leaven of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which it has been the
privilege of our Church to preach in Apacheland
for thirty-three years, is beginning to permeate the
whole tribe. The efforts of mission-work on one
generation are beginning to bear fruit. About one
thousand of the 5,200 Apaches are now members of
the Lutheran Church. Hundreds of children have
passed through our schools. Many are faithful
Christians, devoutly worshiping and following their

Indian Snake-Dance.

Savior. The tangible results are gratifying. And
we may be certain that the Last Day will bring to
light many results that we are not now privileged
to see. But when the sun will set on this old world
for the last time, when that night shall come in
which man will work no more, and when the Sun
of Righteousness will Himself come to judge the

“quick and the dead, then we shall come rejoicing,

bringing in the sheaves from the Apache Mission
field in Arizona. To that end we ask-the prayers of
all our fellow-Christians. Amen.
~ Whiteriver, Ariz. H. C. Nirz.
8 eee

“You may not draw a check at the bank until
you have made a deposit. You cannot take out of
life more than you put in it.”