Hopi
| Hopi |
|---|
| Total population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| United States (Arizona, California) |
| Languages |
| English, Hopi |
| Religions |
| Native Traditional |
The Hopi are a Native American nation who primarily live on the 6,557.262 km² (2,531.773 sq mi) Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. It had a 2000 census population of 6,946 persons. Its largest community is First Mesa, Arizona. The reservation is surrounded by the Navajo reservation.
Overview
The name Hopi is a shortened form of what they call themselves, Hopi'sinom, or "People Who Live in the Correct Way". Hopi is a concept deeply rooted in the culture's religion, spirituality, and its view of morality and ethics. 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. They must be done specifically as instructed by the katsinam (spiritual beings) and are a time when the katsinam visit the Hopi people to see if they are "living in the correct way". If they are following the correct way, the katsinam bless them with rain and good crops. These ceremonies also give the elders access to power, which they use to keep the world in balance. Improper use of ceremonies by non-Hopi can waste this power, leading to Koyaanisqatsi or "World in Chaos" and the destruction of this, the Fourth World.
The traditional Hopi are organized into matrilineal clans. When a man marries, the children from the relationship are members of his wife's clan. The child is 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. A child can be given over forty names. The child may use any of these names or may use a non-Hopi name. A person may also change their name upon initiation into a katsina society.
The Hopi practice and continue to practice their traditional ceremonial culture. However, like other tribes, they have been impacted by the dominant American culture. Traditionally the Hopi are highly skilled micro or subsistence farmers. With the installation of electricity and the necessity of having a motor vehicle and the other things which can be purchased, the Hopi have had to deal with the modern cash economy with many people seeking and holding outside jobs as well as earning money from traditional crafts, particularly the carving and sale of Kachina dolls, highly crafted low fire pottery, and other kwaa traditional crafts such as silversmithing.
A few Hopi live on the Colorado River Indian Reservation on the Colorado River in western Arizona; for information, see Mohave. The Hopi have been affected by missionary work carried out by several Christan denominationss and also by consumerism and alcoholism. However, the effect of missionary work has had relatively little impact traditional Hopi cultural and religious practices. Hopi still practice the complete cycle of traditional ceremonies. These ceremonies are centered around a religious calendar and are observed in the Hopi villages.
See also
- Hopi language
- Hopi mythology
- Kachina - spirits, spirit actors, and fetish figures
Further reading
- Susanne and Jake Page, Hopi, Abradale Press, Harry N. Abrams, 1994, illustrated oversize hardcover, 230 pages, ISBN 0-8109-8127-0, 1982 edition, ISBN 0-8109-1082-9
- New York Times article, "Reggae Rhythms Speak to an Insular Tribe" by Bruce Weber, September 19, 1999
External links
- Official Website of the Hopi Tribe
- The Unwritten Literature of the Hopi by Hattie Greene Lockett, available for free via Project Gutenberg
- Southwest Indians - www.kidzworld.com
- "Hopi Indians". Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Hopi Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Arizona United States Census Bureau
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