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The Living Legacy of Hopi Expression
Kalaila Namoki, a dancer from the Nuvatukya'ovi
Sinom Dance
Group at last year's Hopi Festival.
Photo by Michele Mountain © 2009 MNA |
(Flagstaff,
AZ 2010)—The 77th Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and
Culture returns on the July Fourth weekend to
the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff,
bringing 75 of the top Hopi artists and
demonstrators, seasoned performers of music and
dance, and speakers who will talk about Hopi
beliefs and current issues. Saturday, July 3 and
Sunday, July 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Museum
will be brimming with all things Hopi.
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First held on the July Fourth weekend in 1930, the Hopi
Festival represents the long-standing partnership
between the Hopi people and the Museum, and has always
had as its mission the preservation of Hopi artistic
traditions and the creation of a marketplace for Hopi
goods. Over the years the event has become a regional
tradition for artists and collectors, alike, and for
visitors seeking an authentic cultural experience at
“the oldest Hopi art show in the world.”
Awatovi Harvest Ceremony ©
1991 Michael Kabotie |
An important part
of the festival is the 50 plus awards that are
juried by arts professionals from this region
and given to artists who excel in their arts
category. Prize money is awarded and ribbons are
on display at the artists’ tables, making it
easy to spot the finest collectable art pieces.
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“This year’s festival will honor longtime friend of MNA
and interpretive collaborator, Michael Kabotie
(1942–2009),” stated Museum Director Dr. Robert Breunig,
a close Kabotie friend. “The struggle to find the
center, to find harmony, was the central theme of his
life. I’m really excited that Hopi Festival attendees
will be able to see our current exhibit Walking in
Harmony and to learn more about the evolution, in his
life and in his art.”
MNA Heritage Program Coordinator Anne Doyle added,
“What’s most exciting to me are the moments of
connection between the festival visitors and the
artists, entertainers, and educators. When the Hopi
culture reveals itself through modern or traditional
expressions and I see people enjoying these fine arts,
that’s when I know we’ve met our mission and we’ve made
MNA co-founder Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton proud.”
Under the Big Tent
Nuvatukya’ovi means “the high up place with snow” and is
the Hopi name for the San Francisco Peaks. The
Nuvatukya’ovi Sinom Dance Group will perform the Koonina
or Supai dance, celebrating the Havasupai people; the
Palhikwmana or water maiden dance; and the Koshari or
clown dance to unite people and make them happy. All of
the dance troup’s regalia—clothing, weaving, jewelry,
and tabletas or headdresses—is designed and handmade by
the dancers.
Ed Kabotie, Michael Kabotie’s son, is a dynamic artist
in his own right. He plays acoustic guitar and Native
flute, while incorporating teachings about the Hopi
language and its history into his music. He sings in
Hopi/Tewa and English in his trilingual compositions.
Also, his presentation “Journey of the Sacred Clown, A
Tribute to Michael Kabotie” will be shown in the Walking
in Harmony exhibit gallery. It is a thoughtful and
humorous talk that focuses on his father.
Sidney Poolheco and Sandra Hamana will perform
traditional Hopi songs, as well as contemporary tunes
and lyrics that capture the elements of change in the
Hopi culture. Poolheco’s music is often featured on KUYI
88.1 Hopi Radio.
Three Mesas Productions will present a puppet show
performance by youth volunteers from the three Hopi
Mesas. The organization utilizes Hopi legends and fables
to preserve the Hopi language.
EJ the DJ, Hopi comedian extraordinaire, will emcee the
Big Tent performances.
Footprints of the Ancestors
This National Endowment for the Humanities funded
project, headed by NAU’s Director of the University
Honors Program George Gumerman, Ph.D. and directed by
Joelle Clark, addresses the Hopi’s challenging task of
retaining their distinct cultural identity, while
preparing youths for a fast-paced world of modern
lifestyles and different cultures. Archaeology, elder
knowledge, and tribal traditions provide the foundation
for a Hopi youth exhibit on the core values of Hopi
culture. The exhibit Following in the Footprints of Our
Ancestors presents the youths’ voice on how they
maintain their core values amidst threats and challenges
to their deeply rooted traditions. A panel discussion
with Hopi youths and elders, and facilitated by Gumerman
and Clark, will present their remarkable journeys.
Working with Flagstaff spray artist Anthony Esparza, the
youths will lead the community in the creation of a
collage that explores the future of young Hopis (see
Footprints of the Ancestors sidebar).
Heritage Insight Presentations
Community Curator Susan Secakuku will present the
exhibit outline for MNA's new permanent Hopi exhibit.
She will share exhibit content, themes, and collection
ideas and will include time for audience feedback and
questions.
Artist Howard Sice will interview Delbridge Honanie (Coochsiwukioma,
which means “Falling White Snow”). Honanie’s inventive
mind and his traditional painting and carving
disciplines have placed him among the most respected and
collected artists of the Southwest. Clark Tenakhongva,
an award-winning carver will give a presentation on
carving katsina dolls.
Gary Tso, owner and operator of Left Handed Hunter
Tours, is an energetic speaker who will talk about Hopi
culture, Hopi clan migrations, the story of the four
worlds, and the Europeanization of Hopiland.
Artists and Demonstrators
L.A. fashion designer Wendell Sakiestewa, another son of
Michael Kabotie, will present his clothing line at his
booth, with model and actor Kiowa Gordon (Hualapai) of
the romance fantasy film series The Twilight Saga. Both
were raised in Arizona. Sakiestewa’s designs are ultra
contemporary and casual, and he enjoys designing for
celebrity clients as well as the general public. Gordon
will visit with the public and sign autographs on Sunday
from 3–5 p.m. at Sakiestewa’s booth.
Ruby Chimerica and her daughter Anita Koruh will discuss
the nuances of Hopi basket making. They gather and dye
their own materials and will show how they use them to
create plaques. Potters Dorothy and Emerson Ami create
pottery in the traditional Hopi way, from gathering the
clay, to using all natural pigments to paint them and
sheep dung to fire them. And glass blower Ramson
Lomatewama will be demonstrating how he makes his
glittering, glass spirit figures.
Consignment Sale
In addition to the 75 booth artists, Museum staffers
have made several trips to collect one-of-a-kind
consigned works from individual artists across the Hopi
Mesas. Collecting trips have always been an important
part of the Hopi festivals, allowing artists who produce
only a few items per year a chance to sell their work.
Hundreds of distinctive art pieces including quilts,
rattles, pottery, katsina dolls, paintings, and baskets
will be on display in the consignment area.
Creative Corner
Outside in the courtyard, kids and all other creative
people will be able to make take-home crafts. This year,
learn about the cultural significance of pottery making
while making clay pinch pots, rain cloud necklaces, and
the always popular split twig figurines.
77th Annual Hopi Festival Sponsors
The 2010 Hopi Festival is sponsored by the Arizona
Commission on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts;
Arizona ArtShare; City of Flagtaff, Flagstaff Cultural
Partners; Arizona Humanities Council; ACS–Archaeological
Consulting Services–Cultural Resource, Environmental
Management, and GIS Services; Fred Nackard Wholesale
Beverage Company; and Simply Delicious.
KUYI, 88.1FM Native American Public Radio from Hotvela(
Hotevilla) on the mesa tops of northeastern Arizona will
be at the festival, talking to visitors, interviewing
festival personalities, and adding their own fun to the
event with their live broadcast.
About the Museum
If you haven’t yet seen Walking in Harmony: The Life and
Work of Lomawywesa, Michael Kabotie, the Hopi Festival
is a great opportunity to see it. Artist, poet,
“mythical archaeologist,” ritual clown, and trickster—Kabotie
explored the journeys of humankind by playfully meshing
his own Hopi traditions with myth and imagery from
around the world.
Also, a modern Hopi kiva mural entitled Journey of the
Human Spirit is permanently installed in MNA’s Kiva
Gallery. The mural is inspired by a brilliant mural
painting tradition that flourished in the Southwest
between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Artists Michael Kabotie and Delbridge Honanie depicted
the emergence of the Hopi people; ancient migrations;
the coming of the Spanish and Anglos; strip mining in
Black Mesa; the abuse of fast food, drugs, and drink by
Native people; and finally, the rebirth of Hopi beliefs
and traditions from the Hopi point of view.
Now celebrating its 82nd year, the Museum of Northern
Arizona sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks,
which are the tallest mountains in Arizona and are
sacred to the region’s Native people. With a long and
illustrious history, MNA evokes the very spirit of the
Colorado Plateau. It is located three miles north of
historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180, on the way
to the Grand Canyon. Festival admission is $7 adult, $6
senior (65+), $5 student, $4 child (7–17), and free to
MNA members. Become a member today in time to attend the
Hopi Festival Members’ Preview, Arts Award Ceremony, and
Silent Auction on Friday evening before the festival.
For more information, go to musnaz.org/support/membership
or call 928/774-5213.
FOOTPRINTS OF THE ANCESTORS
Intergenerational Learning of Hopi History and Culture
The Hopi Footprints project, launched in 2003 to help
Hopi youths follow in the cultural footsteps of their
ancestors, has enlarged its scope with a $240,990
National Endowment for the Humanities grant to Northern
Arizona University’s Anthropology Department.
With the guidance of the Hopi Tribe, the Hopi Cultural
Preservation Office, and NAU’s Director of the
University Honors Program George Gumerman, the original
project over the first three years created a team of
elders, scientists, and teachers who gathered cultural
material and produced more than 25 hours of interviews
with elders and archaeologists for lesson plans and
teacher training at Hopi schools. They are now ready to
broaden the project’s reach.
“It’s time to provide opportunities for Hopi youths to
connect with elders and scholars,” says Gumerman. “By
uniting Hopi youth with their past, we believe they will
help preserve their tribe’s traditions. And since they
will be more connected to culturally relevant
curriculum, they will be more likely to succeed in
school and life in general.”
Footprints of the Ancestors connects Hopi youths,
elders, and scholars at historical and culturally
significant sites across the Southwest, such as the San
Juan River, Mesa Verde National Park, Navajo National
Monument, Chaco Canyon, the Museum of Northern Arizona,
the National Museum of the American Indian, and the
National Museum of Natural History.
According to Gumerman, this new phase of the project
places the youths behind the camera and the computer.
“We are bringing generations together to rediscover Hopi
roots and to revitalize the role of ancient places in
Hopi life today. After they visit these powerful places,
they will share the knowledge they have gained by
creating digital guides—DVDs and websites—to the venues
they have visited, communicating the deeper meaning of
ancestral places,” adds Gumerman.
Hopi youths will also generate podcasts of Hopi songs
and stories for the public. “Imagine tourists listening
to Hopi songs and stories on their iPods, as they hike
down the trail to visit a site.”
In addition to the digital guides, youths participate in
service-learning projects at Hopi such as volunteering
for community races, planting and harvesting crops,
maintaining Hopi peach orchards, and restoring springs
and gardens to encourage Hopi youths to take
responsibility and give back to their community.
The project culminates in the creation of the exhibit,
Following in the Footprints of our Ancestors: Hopi Youth
Perspectives. Project Director Joelle Clark notes that
“Museum visitors will engage with Hopi culture and
history by exploring the exhibit, panel discussions,
presentations, and video screenings that will run
throughout the duration of the exhibit.” The story of
Hopi cultural continuity and the challenges for
sustaining these traditions, as heard through the voices
of Hopi youths, presents a unique perspective that will
capture the minds of the public. The exhibit reflects
today’s Hopi youths as being grounded in their ancestral
and traditional cultural roots, yet living with the
pressures of the modern world. Their desire is to
maintain Hopi core values of kyaptsi or respect, to
remain tied to their traditions, and to get an
education. The youths include their own voices
throughout the exhibit through personal narratives—a
compelling way to communicate their ideas, realities,
and hopes. Visitors will walk away with a deeper insight
into the hearts, minds, and traditional viewpoints of
today’s Hopi youths.
More information about Footprints of the Ancestors is
online at http://www4.nau.edu/footprints.
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