The Hopi

History

Likely the decendants of the Anasazi, the Hopi have lived on three mesas of northeastern Arizona for about 1500 years. They call themselves hopita (the peaceful people). When the Spanish arrived iont eh 1600s, the Hopi joined their Pueblo "cousins" of western New Mexico in resisting the imposition of Spanish rule.

The Stories

Hopi storytellers tell of their successive emergence from the first world to the second, then to the third, and most recently to the fourth--Cycle includes lengthy story of the migrations of various Hopi clans throughout North American continent until at last they came to the "center of the world" in Hopiland.

Key Figures

The Kachinas are the spirits that underlie the world of the Hopi: the Thunder, the Clouds, the Rivers, and such forces as sexuality and fertility--Kachinas live outside the Hopi villages (in the San Francisco Peaks), but send their power into the villages in the time beginning at Soyal and concluding with Niman--Kokopelli (the hump-backed flute player) is the trickster figure, embodying sexual desire and fertility--Spider Woman plays key role in Hopi emergence, and is the mother of the twins Elder Brother and Younger Brother--Tawa is the Sun spirit, said to be all that existed at the beginning--Masauwu is the ruller of the fourth world, the Caretaker of the Place of the Dead, the Owner of Fire who allows the Hopi to emerge to the Fourth World.

The Ceremonies

Kachina dances held at Soyal (Winter Solstice), Niman (Summer Solstice) and at key points in annual cycle between--Prayer sticks (pahos) fashioned in the kivas prior to dances and at other times, as physical vehicles for delivery of prayers to kachinas--Snake Dance most well-known (to non-Indians) ceremony, held August of alternating years, in which snakes become living prayer sticks, involved in dances of kachinas and released to carry prayers forth--Powamu (the Bean Dance) held in February to promote fertility of the fields--Corn is key element of Hopi life, and corn pollen and corn meal are essential to daily patterns of respect for the land of the Hopi.

The Kiva

"Public" building for sacred preparations--Often built literally underground, kivas are designed to evoke the emergence, with entrance only through roof (each time one leaves the kiva, s/he "emerges" into the fourth world)--inside a hole in floor also represents sipapuni (the emergence place)--Inside kiva preparations made for kachina dances, pahos (prayer sticks) prepared, and social interaction of community--Kiva societies maintain kivas, and a larger village may have several kivas, each dedicated to particular aspect of kachina celebration.