The timing coincides with the ripening of crops like corn, beans, and squash, serving as a plea for the monsoon rains necessary for a successful harvest.
Dancers often wear red kilts with black zigzag patterns (representing snakes) and smear their bodies with clay. The ceremony is accompanied by deep, rhythmic chanting and the shaking of gourd rattles. snake_dance
For four days, clan members venture into the desert to collect various snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes and non-venomous bull snakes. The timing coincides with the ripening of crops