Things To Do in The Hopi Reservation

With the exception of Upper and Lower Moenkopi, which are near the Navajo town of Tuba City, and the recently settled Yuh Weh Loo Pah Ki community east of Keams Canyon, the Hopi villages are scattered along roughly 20 miles of Ariz. 264. Old Oraibi is the oldest, but there are no official tours of this village, and visitors are not likely to feel very welcome here unless they’ve been invited to visit by a resident. Walpi, one of only two villages with organized tours, is the best place for visitors to learn more about life in the Hopi villages. Most of the Hopi villages listed below aren’t especially picturesque, but they do have quite a few crafts galleries and stores selling silver jewelry.

FIRST MESA—At the top of First Mesa, parts of the village of Walpi still look much like the ruins of Ancestral Puebloan villages in Canyon de Chelly, Navajo National Monument, and Wupatki National Monument. Small stone houses seem to grow directly from the rock of the mesa top, and ladders jut from the roofs of kivas. The view from the village stretches for hundreds of miles—it’s easy to see why the Hopi settled on this spot. Walpi was originally located lower on the slopes of First Mesa, but after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 brought on fear of reprisal from the Spanish, villagers moved to the top of the mesa so that they could better defend themselves in the event of a Spanish attack.

Immediately adjacent to Walpi are the two villages of Sichomovi, founded in 1750 as a colony of Walpi, and Hano, founded by Tewa peoples who were most likely seeking refuge from the Spanish after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Neither of these villages has the ancient character of Walpi. At the foot of First Mesa, the settlement of Polacca was founded in the late 1800s by Walpi villagers who wanted to be closer to the trading post and school.

SECOND MESA—Second Mesa is today the center of tourism in Hopiland, with the Hopi Cultural Center located here. Villages on Second Mesa include Shungopavi, which was moved to its present site after Old Shungopavi was abandoned in 1680 following the Pueblo Revolt. Old Shungopavi is said to have been the first Hopi village; it was founded by the Bear Clan. Shungopavi is notable for its silver jewelry and its coiled plaques (flat baskets).

Mishongnovi, which means “place of the black man,” is named for the leader of a clan that came here from the San Francisco Peaks around 1200. The original Mishongnovi village, located at the base of the mesa, was abandoned in the 1690s, and the village was reestablished at the current site atop the mesa. The Snake Dance is held here during odd-numbered years.

Sipaulovi, located on the eastern edge of the mesa, was founded after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

THIRD MESA—Oraibi, which lays claim to being the oldest continuously occupied town in the United States, is located on Third Mesa. The village dates from 1150 and, according to legend, was founded by people from Old Shungopavi. A Spanish mission was established in Oraibi in 1629; the ruins are still visible north of the village. Today, Oraibi is a mix of old stone houses and modern ones, mostly constructed of cinder blocks. Blue-corn piki bread, dolls, and other traditional goods are available for sale, and you may even be invited into someone’s home to see the crafts they have to offer. For this reason, Old Oraibi is the most interesting village in which to shop for local crafts, especially weavings, baskets, and jewelry.

For centuries, Oraibi was the largest of the Hopi villages, but in 1906, a schism arose as a result of divisive Bureau of Indian Affairs policies, causing many villagers to leave and form Hotevilla. This is considered the most conservative of the Hopi villages, and it has had frequent confrontations with the federal government. Kykotsmovi, also known as Lower Oraibi or New Oraibi, was founded in 1890 by villagers from Oraibi who wanted to be closer to the school and trading post. This village is the seat of the Hopi Tribal Government. Bacavi was founded in 1907 by villagers who had left Oraibi to help found Hotevilla, but later decided they wanted to return to Oraibi. The people of Oraibi would not let them return, however. Rather than go back to Hotevilla, they founded a new village.

MOENKOPI—Forty miles west of the Hopi mesas, this village was founded in 1870 by people from Oraibi. Moenkopi sits in the center of a wide green valley where plentiful water makes farming more reliable. Divided into the villages of Upper Moenkopi and Lower Moenkopi, Moenkopi is only a few miles from Tuba City off U.S. 160.

Visiting the Three Mesas

Start your visit to the Hopi pueblos at the Hopi Cultural Center, on Ariz. 264 in Second Mesa (tel. (928) 734-2401). This combination museum, motel, and restaurant is the tourism headquarters for the area. Check at the Center for hours, which can be irregular, and entrance fees to the museum.

The most rewarding Hopi village to visit is Walpi, on First Mesa. Guided 1-hour walking tours of this tiny village are usually offered daily between 9am and 3pm (8am to 4pm in summer). Your tour leaders will be local Hopis, who will share with you the history of the village and explain a bit about the local culture. Tours are arranged by the First Mesa Consolidated Villages’ Tourism Program and cost $20. To sign up for a tour, call in advance (tel. 928/737-2670).

Another interesting village to visit is the historic community of Keams Canyon, at the far eastern end of First Mesa on Highway 264. The village is named after a pretty little canyon about 1 1/2 miles to the north, where you’ll find, carved into the stone walls, an inscription left by Colonel Christopher “Kit” Carson. It was Carson who led the war on the Navajo during the summer of 1863 and who, to defeat the tribe, burned their crops, leaving the Navajo with no winter supplies. The inscription reads simply 1st Regt. N.M. Vols. Aug 13th 1863 Col. C. Carson Com. To find the inscription, turn off Ariz. 264 in Keams Canyon and drive north on the main road through the community. You’ll also find some picnic tables along this road.

Please be aware that travel off 264 into any Hopi-owned areas other than the villages is allowed only in the company of a certified Hopi guide.

Hopi Dances & Ceremonies

The Hopi have developed the most complex religious ceremonies of any of the Southwest tribes. The masked kachina dances for which they are most famous are held from January to July. However, most kachina dances are closed to the non-Hopi public. Social dances (usually open to the public) are held August through February. If you’re on the reservation during these months, ask if any dances are taking place.

The kachina season lasts from the winter solstice until shortly after the summer solstice. The actual dates for dances are usually announced only shortly before the ceremonies are to be held. Preparations for the dances take place inside kivas (traditional ceremonial rooms) that are entered from the roof by means of a ladder; the dances themselves are usually held in a village square or street.

With ludicrous and sometimes lewd mimicry, clowns known as koyemsi, koshares, and tsukus entertain spectators between the dances, bringing a lighthearted counterpoint to the very serious nature of the kachina dances. Non-Hopis attending dances are often playfully targeted for attention by these clowns.

Despite the importance of the kachina dances, it is the Snake Dance that has captured the attention of many non-Hopis. The Snake Dance involves the handling of both poisonous and nonpoisonous snakes. The ceremony takes place over 16 days, with the first 4 days dedicated to collecting snakes from the four cardinal directions. Later, footraces are held from the bottom of the mesa to the top. On the last day of the ceremony, the actual Snake Dance is performed. Men of the Snake Society form pairs of dancers—one to carry the snake in his mouth and the other to distract the snake with an eagle feather. When all the snakes have been danced around the plaza, they are rushed down to their homes at the bottom of the mesa to carry the Hopi prayers for rain to the spirits of the underworld.

Check with the Hopi Office of Cultural Preservation to check which ceremonies and dances are open to non-Hopi visitors.

The Spirit of the Hopi Katsinas

Whether in the form of dolls or as masked dancers, kachinas—or, as artists more often refer to them, katsinas—represent the spirits of everything from plants and animals to ancestors and sacred places. More than 300 kachinas appear on a regular basis in Hopi ceremonies, and another 200 appear occasionally. The kachina spirits are said to live in the San Francisco Peaks to the southwest and at Spring of the Shadows in the east. According to legend, the kachinas lived with the Hopi long ago, but the Hopi people made the kachinas angry, causing them to leave. Before departing, though, the kachinas taught the Hopi how to perform their ceremonies.

Today, the kachina ceremonies, performed by men wearing elaborate costumes and masks, serve several purposes. Most important, they bring clouds and rain to water the all-important corn crop, but they also ensure health, happiness, long life, and harmony in the universe. As part of the kachina ceremonies, dancers often bring carved wooden kachina dolls to village children to introduce them to the various spirits.

Most visitors come to the reservation to shop for Hopi crafts. Across the reservation, dozens of small shops sell crafts and jewelry of different quality, and some homes, especially at the foot of First Mesa, have signs indicating that they sell crafts. Shops often sell the work of only a few individuals, so you should stop at several to get an idea of the variety of work available. Also, if you tour Walpi or wander around in Oraibi, you will likely be approached by villagers selling various crafts, including kachina dolls. The quality will not be as high as that in shops, but then, the prices won't be as high either. For information on arts and artists you might wish to seek out, visit the Hopi Arts Trail website (http://hopiartstrail.com).

If you're in the market for Hopi silver jewelry, stop in at Hopi Fine Arts (tel. 928/737-2222), which is at the foot of Second Mesa at the junction of Ariz. 264 and Ariz. 87. This shop also has a good selection of kachina dolls and some beautiful coil and wicker plaque baskets. Hours are limited in the winter.

One of the best places to get a quick education in Hopi art and crafts is Tsakurshovi (tel. 928/734-2478), a tiny shop 1 1/2 miles east of the Hopi Cultural Center on Second Mesa. This shop has a huge selection of traditional kachina dolls and also has lots of jewelry. Janice and Joseph Day, the owners, are very friendly and are always happy to share their expertise with visitors. This is also where you can buy a "Don't Worry Be Hopi" T-shirt.

In Oraibi, visit Hamana So-oh’s Arts & Crafts (tel. 928/206-6392), a great place to buy Hopi artwork of all kinds. The shop is open year-round except during the Bean Dances, which take place in February.

At Keams Canyon, 30 miles east of Second Mesa on Ariz. 264, McGee’s Indian Art Gallery (www.hopiart.com; tel. 928/738-2295) is the best place on the reservation to shop for high-quality contemporary kachina dolls. The first trading post to open on this site was built in 1879, and the McGee family has owned the business since 1937. The gallery is adjacent to a grocery store that is the current incarnation of the old trading post.

Eat Local, Shop Local -- The Hopi and Navajo reservations both offer some interesting opportunities to eat locally and shop locally, and in so doing patronize small businesses and individuals, which is one of the key aspects of eco-travel. On the Hopi reservation, residents of the village of Walpi lead tours of this ancient cliff-top village. On these walking tours, you're likely to be approached by village residents selling handicrafts and sometimes traditional piki bread. The latter, a paper-thin bread made from blue corn, has long been a staple food of the Hopi. If you wander around the village of Old Oraibi, you're also likely to be approached by village residents selling handicrafts, particularly small, wooden dolls. Throughout the Hopi Reservation, you'll see signs in front of people's homes advertising traditional crafts for sale. On the Navajo Nation, you can sample traditional foods at the Ch'ihootso Indian Marketplace in Window Rock. The steam corn soup served at several of the little food vendors' stalls here is a particular favorite of local families. Also, anywhere on the Navajo Nation where there is a scenic view, you'll find jewelry vendors set up by the side of the road. Although I have never found much worth buying at these stalls, my wife has gotten some very pretty turquoise earrings.

A Native American Crafts Primer

The Four Corners region is taken up almost entirely by the Navajo and Hopi reservations, so Native American crafts are ubiquitous. You'll see jewelry for sale by the side of desolate roads, Navajo rugs in tiny trading posts, and Hopi kachinas being sold out of village homes. The information below will help you make an informed purchase.

Hopi Kachina Dolls—These elaborately decorated wooden dolls are representations of the spirits of plants, animals, ancestors, and sacred places. Traditionally, they were given to children to initiate them into the pantheon of kachina spirits, which play important roles in ensuring rain and harmony in the universe. Kachinas have long been popular with collectors, and Hopi carvers have changed their style over the years to cater to the collectors' market. Older kachinas were carved from a single piece of cottonwood, sometimes with arms simply painted on. This older style is much simpler and stiffer than the contemporary style that emphasizes action poses and realistic proportions. A great deal of carving and painting goes into each kachina, and prices today are in the hundreds of dollars for even the simplest. The tsuku, or clown kachinas, which are usually painted with bold horizontal black-and-white stripes and are often depicted in humorous situations or carrying slices of watermelon, are popular with tourists and collectors. In the past few years, young carvers have been returning to the traditional style of kachina, so it's now easier to find these simpler images for sale.

Hopi Overlay Silver Work—Most Hopi silver work is done in the overlay style, which was introduced to tribal artisans after World War II, when the GI Bill provided funds for former soldiers to study silversmithing at a school founded by Hopi artist Fred Kabotie. The overlay process basically uses two sheets of silver, one with a design cut from it. Heat fuses the two sheets, forming a raised image. Designs often borrow from other Hopi crafts such as basketry and pottery, and from ancient Ancestral Puebloan pottery. Belt buckles, earrings, bolo ties, and bracelets are all popular.

Hopi Baskets—On Third Mesa, wicker plaques and baskets are made from rabbit brush and sumac, and colored with bright aniline dyes. On Second Mesa, coiled plaques and baskets are created from dyed yucca fibers. Throughout the reservation, yucca-fiber sifters are made by plaiting over a willow ring.

Hopi Pottery—Contemporary Hopi pottery tends toward geometric designs and comes in a variety of styles, including a yellow-orange ware decorated with black-and-white designs and white pottery with red-and-black designs. Nampeyo, who died in 1942, is the most famous Hopi potter and is credited with bringing Hopi pottery to the attention of collectors. Today, members of the Nampeyo family are still active as potters. Most pottery is produced on First Mesa.

Navajo Silver Work—Whereas the Hopi create overlay silver work from sheets of silver and the Zuni use silver work simply as a base for their skilled lapidary or stone-cutting work, Navajo silversmiths highlight the silver itself. Silversmithing caught on with Navajo men in the 1880s, when Lorenzo Hubbell, who had established a trading post in the area, hired Mexican silversmiths as teachers. The earliest pieces of Navajo jewelry were replicas of Spanish ornaments, but as the Navajo silversmiths became more proficient, they began to develop their own designs. The squash-blossom necklace, with its horseshoe-shape pendant, is one of the most distinctive Navajo designs.

Navajo Rugs—After the Navajo acquired sheep and goats from the Spanish, they learned weaving from the pueblo tribes, and by the early 1800s, their weavings were widely recognized as being the finest in the Southwest. Women were the weavers among the Navajo, and they primarily wove blankets. However, by the end of the 19th century, the craft was beginning to die out as it became more economical to purchase ready-made blankets. When Lorenzo Hubbell set up his trading post, he recognized a potential market in the East for the woven blankets -- if they could be made heavy enough to be used as rugs. Although today the cost of Navajo rugs, which take hundreds of hours to make, has become almost prohibitively expensive, there are still enough women practicing the craft to keep it alive.

The best rugs are those made with homespun yarn and natural vegetal dyes. However, commercially manufactured yarns and dyes are increasingly used to keep costs down. Some weavers are now using wool from Churro sheep, which are descended from sheep that may have been brought to this region by Spanish settlers more than 300 years ago. There are more than 15 regional styles of rugs and there is quite a bit of overlapping and borrowing. Bigger and bolder patterns are likely to cost quite a bit less than very complex and highly detailed patterns.