Page 226 - TheHopiIndians

BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES

The former chief Snake Priest of Walpi was a
young man of good presence, of splendid physique,
with regular features and grave, dignified look; in
-whose face there seemed to be often a trace of melan
choly, arising perhaps from deep thought. For it
takes a man to be Snake Priest, and the office brings
out all there is in one.
Kopeli was as well trained as any civilized man
whatsoever, taking into consideration the demands
of the different planes of culture. Education is as
general among these Indians as it is among the more
enlightened people. It would be too long to go into
details, but briefly the Hopi child's life is largely a
kindergarten of play-instruction by kind teachers of
things useful in active life. He is wrapped in the cus
toms which have become religion, he is initiated into
manhood, and takes his place, perhaps inherited, in the
fraternities. With all these he is taught the lore, the
practices, and the songs — minutise which require a
strong memory. He learns the plants and the ani
mals to which the Hopi had given descriptive names