Californians suffering from the state’s worst drought in memory are turning to desperate measures. Some are letting their lawns die. Some are showering with friends. And some are gathering for rain dances.
The San Juan Intertribal Council has staged Native American a Rain Dance every Sunday evening for the past three weeks. This past Sunday, the state actually did enjoy some mild rain, though not enough to stop the drought.
It is not clear that the participants in the Rain Dance are actually Native American. Local ABC affiliate KSBW described a recent dance in San Juan Batista as consisting of traditions from “Coastanoa, Lakota Sioux, Azteca, and the community.”
Such rituals are not unique to California: in recent drought years in Israel, rabbis have fasted and boarded special flights to circumnavigate the country and offer traditional prayers for rainfall.
Image: KSBW 8
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