A Southwestern Indian Culture Among Us Today: The Hopi Indians

During the sixteenth century European pilgrims migrated across the Atlantic Ocean to settle in North America. North America had just been introduced to the Western Civilization. The America’s were home to the indigenous people, that were made up of several tribes that were called Indians by the early settlers. Together the Indians and settlers began to thrive. Growth and development in the new world was made possible by the abundant amount of natural resources.

The Hopi Indians are Native Americans who lived on 1.5 million acres of reservation in Northeastern Arizona. In the beginning, the Hopi Indians were a hunting and gathering group divided into small groups that lived in pit houses. (A pit-house is a building that is partly dug into the ground and covered by a roof.) Around 700 A.D. the Hopi Indians became an agricultural tribe by growing blue ears of corn by using runoff from the mesas.(A mesa is an isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides.). In the late 1200’s a ginormous drought forced 36 of the 47 villages on the Hopi mesas to be abandoned. Following the massive drought, the 11 remaining villages increased in size where then three new villages were established in Northeastern Arizona.

The Hopi tribe were villagers and farmers. Their villages were located in the lofty plateaus of northern Arizona. The Hopi tribe have kept their culture intact due to living

The Cheyenne tribe were a powerful, resourceful, tribe of the Great Plains. They fought against the Americans when they went to take their land. Within their tribe there were very powerful role model like figures. Some of these leader like figures were Chief Roman Nose and Little Rock. All of the Native American tribes seemed interesting to learn about, but the Cheyenne tribe had a certain charm and dedication to their tribe that none of the of the other tribes seemed to have from the outside looking in.

In the early history of the United States, even before Europeans set foot in North America, there were Native Americans all across the continent. Native Americans lived in tribes and were nomadic. Although they were nomadic, they would also inhabit “permanent villages” where they would live year-round. On the occasion that those “permanent villages” were abandoned, left behind would be artifacts from their culture that explained a great amount about their lifestyle and traditions. These popular artifacts were most commonly found in southwest and northeast regions such as the Great Plains, the Great Basin, and the Mississippi River Valley.

It has been thought for many years that the Americas were a vastly unpopulated land until Columbus came. However new evidence disputes this previously thought notion. Archeologist, who have been studying the remains of Native American culture, have found evidence suggesting that the Indians were in the Americas for much longer and in greater numbers than what was believed. This new evidence shows us the impact the Europeans had on the New World and gives us insight into what the Americas were like before the Europeans and what they may have been had the Europeans never settled here.

There were many American Indian tribes living in the Americas before Europeans “discovered” the continents; some of these tribes had very distinguishing cultures unique to their tribe. A few of these cultures are those of the Aztec, Mayan, and Inca empires and of the Pueblo people of the Southwest. These cultures are very unique and recognizable by their way of life. The Aztec, Mayan, and Inca empires and the Pueblo peoples; with their geographic location and architecture, their religion and governments, and their notable innovations became some of the most recognizable American Indian tribes to date.

In earlier times the Native Americans who resided in Arizona, lived of the natural resources provided by the land. For instance the Hopi was known for their great dry farming skills and their ability to adapt to the dry desert climate by using different agricultural practices. Today, agriculture continues to be an essential way of life for the Hopi, and managed to keep their culture intact. Many associate their success to their tribal isolated area that is surrounded by the Navajo (Hopi People).

Page, Jake. In the hands of the Great Spirit: the 20,000-year history of American Indians.

On Dec. 19, 1936 the Hopi Tribal Council was established by the Hopi people, with the adoption of the Hopi Constitution and By-Laws. According to the constitution, the Hopi Tribal Council has the power and authority to represent and speak for the Hopi Tribe in all matters for the welfare of the Tribe, and to negotiate with federal, state and local governments, and with the councils or governments of other tribes. The current council now consists of 14 representatives from each Hopi village Moenkopi, Bacavi, Kykotsmovi and Mishongnovi. The selection of representatives in the Council in some villges like the villages of Sipaulovi, Shungopavi, Oraibi, Hotevilla, Lower Moenkopi and First Mesa is done through community elections or by appointment

When people think about the history of Native Americans, they rarely think about how vast and rich it is. Much of the education about aboriginal people in the Americas begins and ends with Christopher Columbus. This association leads people to believe that Native Americans were small in number and short in history. However, Native Americans have a lengthy and complex history, that archaeologists and anthropologists have tried to piece together for years. Throughout history, there has been a strong interest in finding out the origins of Native Americans, and tracing back when they got to North America.

Starting in the 1400s, the Native American tribe called the Dineh occupied the territories of now Arizona and New Mexico. In their language, Dineh means “the people”, in which they call their homeland Dinetah. They got the name Navajo from the Spanish so that they wouldn 't get confused with the Apache tribe, for they looked very much alike. The Navajo had a unique lifestyle and focused on art, religion, and farming. They had many conflicts with their neighbors and especially the United States Army. When they were relocated to different parts of the South, they had the integrity and unification to presume their traditions, especially their art and religion.

Many historians speculate that about 20,000 years ago Paleo-Indians migrated to America. How they made the journey is highly speculated as well. Some believe it was by a land bridge between Asia and Northern America while others believed the Paleo-Indians to have migrated via boat. However, how they arrived is not what matters, but what is important is that the Paleo-Indians made it to the Americas where they began establishing their own civilizations. Around 1492, however, countries like Spain, Britain, and France began exploring for new lands to “colonize”. The lands they discovered were already inhabited by Indians, who are portrayed as the bad guy more times than not. Yet, one could argue that they are the opposite of that. Yes, colonists and Indians shared their differences, but if it were not for the Indians many of the colonists and colonizations would have never survived.

The Anasazi people began as hunters and gatherers. They eventually began to settle into more permanent structures and began growing their own food. They primarily grew corn and squash and they built storage bins to store their excess food. The early settlements were homes built underground and lined with rocks. The homes were covered with beamed and thatch roofs. As the culture evolved they began to build more elaborate houses both underground and above

Two million years ago in what is now Arizona, there was a man in the Hopi tribe called Ongtupqa who was the strongest digger out of every tribe in the area. Some say that he could dig a hole 2 feet deep and wide in the blink of an eye. Anyways, for a long time everything was calm around the tribe and everything went fine. However, one day a war broke out between two of the surrounding tribes. Frightened by this sudden conflict, the leaders of the Hopi tribe decided that the tribe needed to relocate. And so the picked up all or their belongings, packed up the tents they resided in, and went on a journey to find a suitable settlement.