The Hopi Tribe of the American Southwest
The Hopi Tribe of the American Southwest
By
Tim Gola
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Professor Holly Ricker
February 22, 2010
The Hopi Indians are a Native American tribe from the American southwest and now reside on a 1.5 million acre Hopi reservation in northern Arizona. The Hopi or the "Hopituh Shi-nu-mu" meaning "The Peaceful People" or the "Peaceful Little Ones” are very peaceful and spiritual tribe whose reservation lies somewhat in the center of the Navajo Nation (Hopi 1). The Hopi have a unique history and culture which is deeply associated with religion, spirituality and family. The Hopi people believe in a clan system and consider all members of their tribe relatives and base their daily life on their religion of anti-war and helping others while living in harmony with the land. The Hopi’s concept of morality and ethics is very influenced by the afterlife and this concept is one where you are in a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with all these things and to be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, but one never achieves in this lifetime (Hopi 1).
The Hopi’s live in northeast Arizona at the southern end of the Black Mesa (Appendix A). A mesa is the name given to a small isolated flat-topped hill with three steep sides called the 1st Mesa, 2nd Mesa, and the 3rd Mesa. On the mesa tops are the Hopi villages called pueblos. The pueblo of Oraibi on the 3rd Mesa started in 1050, and is the oldest in North America that was lived in continuously. They live in pueblos that are made of stone and mud and stand several stories high ( Smith 1) (Appendix B). The original origin of the Hopi Indians suggest that their ancestors, the Anasazi were related to the Aztecs of Mexico and may have moved to the land between five and ten thousand years ago (Hopi 1). Hopi’s say their ancestors migrated from many areas and could have entered the country from the north,
By
Tim Gola
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Professor Holly Ricker
February 22, 2010
The Hopi Indians are a Native American tribe from the American southwest and now reside on a 1.5 million acre Hopi reservation in northern Arizona. The Hopi or the "Hopituh Shi-nu-mu" meaning "The Peaceful People" or the "Peaceful Little Ones” are very peaceful and spiritual tribe whose reservation lies somewhat in the center of the Navajo Nation (Hopi 1). The Hopi have a unique history and culture which is deeply associated with religion, spirituality and family. The Hopi people believe in a clan system and consider all members of their tribe relatives and base their daily life on their religion of anti-war and helping others while living in harmony with the land. The Hopi’s concept of morality and ethics is very influenced by the afterlife and this concept is one where you are in a state of total reverence and respect for all things, to be at peace with all these things and to be Hopi is to strive toward this concept, but one never achieves in this lifetime (Hopi 1).
The Hopi’s live in northeast Arizona at the southern end of the Black Mesa (Appendix A). A mesa is the name given to a small isolated flat-topped hill with three steep sides called the 1st Mesa, 2nd Mesa, and the 3rd Mesa. On the mesa tops are the Hopi villages called pueblos. The pueblo of Oraibi on the 3rd Mesa started in 1050, and is the oldest in North America that was lived in continuously. They live in pueblos that are made of stone and mud and stand several stories high ( Smith 1) (Appendix B). The original origin of the Hopi Indians suggest that their ancestors, the Anasazi were related to the Aztecs of Mexico and may have moved to the land between five and ten thousand years ago (Hopi 1). Hopi’s say their ancestors migrated from many areas and could have entered the country from the north,
Cited: Eck, Pam. “Hopi Indians.” April 22, 1998. http://inkido.indiana.edu/w310work/romac/hopi.htm February 12th 2010. “Hopi .” Helicon Publishing. 2010. http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0023971.html February 15th 2010 “Hopi.” http://www.crystalinks.com/hopi1.html February 15th 2010. Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona. 2005.