Frequently Asked Questions

Aren’t the Hopi Indians taken care of by the federal government and the Bureau of Indian Affairs?
The Hopis are citizens of the United States and therefore they have the same access to welfare programs as any of us do. They can receive food stamps if they qualify, however only about 30 percent of those ligible actually receive this assistance. They can receive welfare benefits, if they qualify, but for 3 years only; again most Hopis are not on welfare. They do have a nice health care package provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, this is something that is generally not offered to citizens who leave in outside the reservation, but the remoteness of the area makes this type of help necessary.
  
By giving things out free to people aren’t we promoting a welfare mentality?
We are very aware of the concept of “teaching a man to fish”, and we strive to “give” things to the elderly and children. We do try to help out families who are trying to improve their lives. For instance, we provided a tiller to the village of Moenkopi, so they could plant their crops. We provided seeds to all of the villages so they could work and feed their families. We try to provide building materials and tools so that the Hopis can help themselves. Once you get to know the Hopis, you will soon realize that they are a hard working people and want to provide for their own families. We do believe, however, that Christ said, “if ye have not charity, you have nothing”. We want to help our fellow sojourners on this earth as Christ has commanded us and to do so without judgment. We believe our rewards will be great.
  
How can I be sure that what I donate actually goes to the Hopis in needand doesn’t go to a big bureocratic overhead?
All overhead expenses for the trips down, gas, food, lodging, are all paid for by Mike Sweat. This is a huge expense as you can imagine. All of the volunteers who go down, pay for their own expenses.  Nothing is taken out of the donations for overhead expenses - every donation goes directly to the indigenous people we serve.  Also, on each trip down, Mike sets aside $2,000 of his own money to buy Hopi arts and crafts and encourages those who go down with him to take some money to buy arts and crafts from the Hopis.  Mike then sells some of his items on this website so that he can go down and buy even more arts and crafts. This is the second arm of his charity - to support the Hopis in their efforts to support their own families. No one gets paid who works with the Mike Sweat Hopi Ourtreach. Mike pays all overhead expenses, and volunteers pay for their own expenses.
  
Haven’t the Hopis brought all their poverty upon themselves?
There, but for the grace of God, goes YOU. These people were born into a proud tradition. They have chosen to stay on a promised land and to follow their religion as they understand it. They don’t ask for any help or seek any sympathy. By them staying on this ground and perpetuating their culture, we are all blessed. To fully appreciate what the Hopis do for us, you should further explore this website and read some of the suggested reading material.
  
Why don’t they just leave the reservation and go to the city and get a good job and support their families like the rest of us?
Some do, and that has caused a lot of problems for the Hopis. Their youngsters go off to follow the “pahanna” way and forget their culture and traditions. Some of the ceremonies have been lost because their are no new Kiva Chiefs to take over the very intricate rituals that the Hopis have.
  
Is this some kind of “Mormon” charity?
The short answer is, No. Mike Sweat is a Mormon and many of those who volunteer are Mormons. We have, however, on our Board, Reverend Sill and his wife, who are Baptist Ministers. The Introductory Video on the websites Home page, explains our religious motivations very well.