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Hopi
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The Hopi are American Indians people who primarily live on the 12,635 km² (2,531.773 sq mi) Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi Reservation is entirely surrounded by the much larger Navajo Reservation. The two nations used to share the Navajo-Hopi Joint Use Area.
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The Hopi are American Indians people who primarily live on the 12,635 km² (2,531.773 sq mi) Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi Reservation is entirely surrounded by the much larger Navajo Reservation. The two nations used to share the Navajo-Hopi Joint Use Area. The partition of this area, commonly known as Big Mountain, by Acts of Congress in 1974 and 1996, has resulted in seemingly endless controversy.
The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 persons.
History
According to Hopi lore, the Hopi are a gathering of many separate people representing tribes from distant areas, now identifying culturally as one people. With impact of the Athabascan migrations from Canada (forming the modern Navajo nation) ending as late as the 15th century the Hopi moved from original village locations at the bottoms of mesas to the tops where these villages could be defended. Popularly these are known as First, Second and Third Mesas because of their order of Spanish encounter. In contrast, the formerly nomadic Navajo typically live in small family groups now widely distributed across northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico. The Hopi have been village dwellers for many centuries (nine villages existed at the arrival of the Spanish —Sikyatki, Koechaptevela, Kisakovi, Sichomovi, Mishongnovi, Shipaulovi, Shungopavi, Oraibi and Awatovi). The Hopi village of Old Oraibi, located on Third Mesa and founded about the year 1100, is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the United States.
Culture
The name Hopi is a shortened form of what these Native American people call themselves, Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, "The Peaceful People" or "Peaceful Little Ones" . The Catholic Encyclopedia lists the name Hopi as having been derived from "Hopita", meaning those who are "peaceful ones". Hopi is a concept deeply rooted in the culture's religion, spirituality, and its view of morality and ethics. The Hopi religion is anti-war. To be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, which involves a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with these things, and to live in accordance with the instructions of Maasaw, the Creator or Caretaker of Earth. The Hopi observe their traditional ceremonies for the benefit of the entire world.
Traditionally, Hopi are organized into matrilineal clans. When a man marries, the children from the relationship are members of his wife's clan. These clan organizations extend across all villages. Children are named, however, by the women of the father's clan. On the twentieth day of a baby's life, the women of the paternal clan gather, each woman bringing a name and a gift for the child. In some cases where many relatives would attend, a child could be given over forty names, for example. The child's parents generally decide the name to be used from these names. Current practice is to either use a non-Hopi or English name or the parent's chosen Hopi name. A person may also change their name upon initiation into one of the religious societies such as the Kachina society.
The Hopi still practice a complete cycle of traditional ceremonies although not all villages retain or ever had the complete ceremonial cycle. These ceremonies take place according to the lunar calendar and are observed in each of the Hopi villages.
Nonetheless, like other Indian groups, the Hopi have not escaped impact by the dominant American culture. The Hopi have been affected by missionary work carried out by several Christian denominations and also by consumerism and alcoholism. However, the effect of missionary work has had relatively little impact on traditional Hopi cultural and religious practices.
Traditionally the Hopi are highly skilled micro or subsistence farmers. The Hopi also interact in the wider cash economy; a significant number of Hopi have regular paying jobs; others earn a living from producing high quality art, traditional crafts—notably the carving and sale of Kachina dolls, highly crafted earthenware ceramic pottery, and other activities such as the design and production of jewelry, notably sterling silver silversmithing.
The Hopi people
When a child is born, they receive a perfect ear of corn. On the 20th day, the child is taken to the mesa cliff and held facing the rising sun. When the sun touches the baby, it is given a name.
Kachinas or Kat'sinas or Qat'sinas are referenced extensively in the Hopi. Kat'sina literally means "life bringer" in Hopi. A Kat'sina can be anything from an element, to a quality, to a natural phenomenon, to a concept. There are over 300 to 400 different Kat'sinas. Traditionally, Kat'sina dolls, which are made by the maternal uncles, are given to young uninitiated girls at the Bean Dance and Home Dance.
Images
See also
Further reading
- Susanne and Jake Page, Hopi, , 1994, illustrated oversize hardcover, 230 pages, ISBN 0-8109-8127-0, 1982 edition, ISBN 0-8109-1082-9
- Alph Secakuku, "Hopi Kachina Tradition: Following the Sun and Moon" 1995
- Alfonso Ortiz, ed. Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 9, Southwest. Washington: Smithsonian Institition, 1979
- J. O. Brew, "Hopi Prehistory and History to 1850", pp. 514-523 in Ortiz, Handbook
- F. J. Dockstader, "Hopi History, 1850-1940", pp. 524-532 in Ortiz, Handbook
- R. O. Clemmer, "Hopi History, 1940-1970", pp. 533-538 in Ortiz, Handbook
- J. C. Connelly, "Hopi Social Organization", pp. 539-553 in Ortiz, Handbook
- E. A. Kennard, "Hopi Economy and Subsistence", pp. 554-563 in Ortiz, Handbook
- A. Frigout, "Hopi Ceremonial Organization", pp. 564-576 in Ortiz, Handbook
- L. A. Hieb, "Hopi World View", pp. 577-580 in Ortiz, Handbook
- M. B. Stanislawski, "Hopi-Tewa", pp. 587-602 in Ortiz, Handbook
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- Frank Waters, The Book of the Hopi, Penguin (Non-Classics), (June 30, 1977), ISBN 0-140045279
- Frank Waters, Masked Gods:Navaho & Pueblo Ceremonialism, Swallow Press, 1950; Ohio University Press, 1984, ISBN 0-804006415
- Hopi Nation: Essays on Indigenous Art, Culture, History, and Law, edited by Edna Glenn, John R. Wunder, Willard Hughes Rollings, and C. L. Martin, Ebook, 2008; online at
External links
- , not responding 1/17/08
- , accessed 1/17/08
- , by MNSU Museum staff. Accessed 1/17/08
- , by LM Smith, Four Corners Postcard, accessed 1/17/08
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