Location of Hopi Reservation:

The Hopi Reservation is located in Northeast Arizona and is completely surrounded by the Navajo Reservation. The traditional Hopi Lands were originally much larger and extended into Canyon DeChelly, which is now on Navajo land. There are 5 main areas on the Hopi Reservation, They are, (from East to West), Keams Canyon area, First Mesa, Second Mesa, Third Mesa, and the Moenkopi area. The Map below is not correct in as much as Moenkopi is on Hopi Land. Moenkopi is just a mile south of of Tuba City, which is now part of the Navajo Reservation, but used to be part of the Hopi Lands. Tuba City was named after Chief Tuvi, who was a Hopi Chief not a Navajo Chief.

All three Mesas are quite old but the oldest of the villages which is still inhabited is Oraibi on 3rd Mesa, right after Oraibi is Walipi on 1st Mesa. Walipi sits on the precipice of the cliff and is quite impressive. Only a few families still live there, but during certain ceremonies and dances many of the families come back to their traditional homes to stay for a few days. Both Oraibi iand Walipi are traditional villages, which means they have no outside electricity, no running water, no sewer, no piped in natural gas. Walipi is actually a bit more primitive than Oraibi as Oraibi does allow solar panels & some generators.

At the foot of 1st Mesa is the village of Polacca, which has all of the modern convienences. Keams Canyon has a gas station, restaurant, small grocery store and an Arts & Crafts Gallery. Second Mesa is home to the Hopi Cultural Center which has a nice restaurant and a modern motel. There is also a gift and craft store but no gasoline available. Third Mesa has a grocery store and and gas station located at Hotevilla. For a larger Super Market type store the Hopis have to travel to Tuba City or to Flagstaff. Although there has been a lot of talk about bringing in a Super Market, there is as yet no such convienence on the Hopi Reservation.

Hopi History, Culture, Religion – an overview

The history, culture, & religion of the Hopi people has been studied quite extensively, however, there are many divergent stories and theories. As we talk to the Hopi Elders today, we find that stories differ from Mesa to Mesa and even village to village. We also find that each clan has its own unique stories and histories. When one reads about the history or prophecies of the “Hopi”, especially on the internet, it seems that the author is lumping all Hopi’s into one group - and they are not. In this brief introduction to the Hopi way of life, we will try to sort through the various clan stories and point out the similarities as well as the differences. We are open to all discussion about what we have written here. If you have additions or corrections, please email us and we will try to investigate and update our information if we find our narrative in error or lacking.

On the edge of First Mesa in Walipi village

Creation and Migration Stories

All of the clans agree on one thing about their creation story. They believe that they are the first, original, and oldest of all human species. They also believe that they were “placed” here from another planet. Some Elders add that they were also from a different galaxy. This is interesting, in as much as there are similar creation stories with other indigenous peoples, such as the Dogone tribe of northern Africa. The thought of being, “seeded” here on Earth, by another similar race from another planet, also has been suggested by modern scientist, although only by pure conjecture.

Where this “seeding” or “placement” took place is a much debated question among the Hopi. Some suggest that the original Hopi were placed on the now extinct continent of Atlantis. Most think that they came from the south. We heard most recently that the first group were in the southern tip of Africa and came across the South Atlantic to South America by boat and then migrated up through South and Central America. Most Hopi’s believe they are related to the Mayan, but are unsure as to whether the Maya descended from the Hopi or the Hopi descended from the Maya. Most other Native American tribes revere the Hopi as the “oldest of the people” and agree with the Hopi that they were the first inhabitants of North America. Most Hopi believe that the Anasazi Indians were actually Hopi ancestors.

Historical Period

The Hopis' "historical period" began in 1540, when first contact with Europeans occurred. In that year a group of Spanish soldiers led by the explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado arrived, looking for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. After a brief, confrontational search produced no gold, the Spanish destroyed part of a village and left.

The Hopis were not molested further until 1629, when the first Spanish missionaries arrived, building missions in the villages of Awatovi, Oraibi, and Shungopavi. Historians speculate the Hopis pretended to adopt the new religion while practicing their own in secret. Hopi oral history confirms this interpretation. Rebelling finally against the Spanish yoke of religious oppression, the Hopis joined the rest of the Pueblo people in a unified revolt in 1680. During this uprising, known as the Pueblo Revolt, the Indians took the lives of Franciscan priests and Spanish soldiers and then besieged Santa Fe for several days. When the Hopis finally returned to their villages, they killed all the missionaries.

The Hopis then moved three of their villages to the mesa tops as a defensive measure against possible retaliation. The Spanish returned to reconquer the Rio Grande area in 1692. Many Rio Grande Pueblo Indians fled west to Hopi, where they were welcomed. Over the next few years, many living in Awatovi invited the Spanish priests back, a situation that caused a serious rift between those who wanted to preserve the old ways and those who embraced Christianity. Finally, in 1700 Hopi traditionalists killed all the Christian men in Awatovi and then destroyed the village. The destruction of Awatovi signaled the end of Spanish interference in Hopi life, although contact between the groups continued.

Village Community Development Offices:

Bacavi Village......................(928) 734-9360
Hotevilla Village...................(928) 734-2420
Mishongnovi Village.............(928) 737-2520
Sipaulovi Village..................(928) 734-7135
First Mesa Village...............(928) 734-2670
Kykotsmovi Village..............(928) 734-2474
Shungopavi Village...............(928) 734-2262
Upper Moenkopi Village........(928) 283-8054
Lower Moenkopi Village........(928) 283-5212