HOPI
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SOUTHWEST CULTURES
MISCONCEPTIONS
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CULTURE
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MYTHS
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LIVING OBJECTS
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The Hopi reservation is a remote area covering 1,561,213 acres, and is surrounded by the Navajo Reservation. The Hopi people have lived in this area for over a thousand years, with one of its native villages on Third Mesa, Old Oraibi, the oldest continuously inhabited village in the United States. The Hopi built their homes on top of mesas to protect themselves from attacking Navajo and Apache. The Hopi are direct descendants of the Anasazi and part of a larger Indian group called the Pueblo people.
The Hopi evolved a complex belief system which sustains their way of life in the harsh arid deserts of Northern Arizona. Their religion focuses on the Kachinas, which represent the spiritual essence of nature. There is no clear-cut definition for a Kachina. Their significance ranges from the spirits of ancestors, deities of the natural world, or intermediaries between man and the gods. They may bring rain, punish transgressions, or cure disease. Each Kachina can be identified by its own individual character, costume, song, or dance style. For six months of each year (August through January) it is believed that Kachinas live within the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona. With the winter solstice, Kachinas leave their homes and live with the Hopi. Their presence marks the beginning of the ceremonial season, which continues throughout the first half of the year. In July the Kachinas leave the villages after the last day of the Niman Ceremony, the summer solstice observance.
During the season of Kachina dance ceremonies Hopi men dress in colorful masks and costumes to impersonate these spirits. Hopi men become the Kachinas, with the power of the Kachinas in the mask. Considered sacred, these masks must be kept out of sight when not in use. Essential to the religious beliefs of Hopi ancestors, Kachinas continue to be an importance and integral part of Hopi life.
The Hopi people of today are vastly different from their ancestors. Yet they have maintained many of their traditions and values, in spite of changes in the world around them. The principles of harmony and balance, so important to the strength and survival of Hopi communities, remain as ideals for the people today.
Mishongnovi Pueblo (circa 1900) |
Although some Hopi have moved from the reservation to urban areas, farming remains an important. The traditional staples of corn, beans, and squash are still planted and highly prized. In addition, Hopi farmers grow melons, other varieties of fruit, and wheat. Though they are spread geographically across the Southwest and are immersed in American culture, Hopi people all consider three mesas in Northeast Arizona home, and they all maintain a sense of what it means to be Hopi.