Hopi Culture, Dances, & Clans

11/07/06

 

 

Welcome to our Web site!

    Hello, This page is about Hopi Dances, Culture, And Clans. Here is some information for you,  hopefully you find what you are looking for.

 

Favorite Links to all Subjects

Culture
The First Two Sites are about the clans,        the next two sites are about the culture, and the final two sites are about the Hopi Dances. (Some of the websites you might have to search around to to get what you want.)

Hopi Clan System

Native American Legends - Origin Of The Clans - Hopi

Hopi Indians

Native Americans - Hopi

Hopi Summer Traditions - The Butterfly Dance

Hopi Indians Take Stand by Running for Sacred Water


 

 

From: Hopi Indians

 

 

The Hopi Indians, which means good, peaceful, or wise, come from a group of Southwestern people called Pueblo.

Hopis call themselves Hopitu - The Peacable People.

Hopis live in northeast Arizona at the southern end of the Black Mesa.  A mesa is the name given to a small isolated flat-topped hill with three steep sides.

 1st Mesa, 2nd Mesa, and the 3rd Mesa.  On the mesa tops are some of the Hopi villages.  The pueblo of Oraibi on 3rd Mesa started in 1050, and is the oldest in North America that was lived in continuously.

 Farming and gardening are essential elements of Hopi culture. They would also dry farm.

I got this pictures from: Hopi Indians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hopi Clans

Dances

                         A Hopi Legend

A long time ago, when the Hopi Tribe was emerging from the First World, their people started to hunt for the land of the rising sun. Moving in related groups, they thought it fun to play a name game.

When the first band came upon a dead bear, immediately they thought it a sign for them to become the Bear Clan. Another Hopi band came upon the same skeleton but saw little gopher holes surrounding the carcass. They agreed among themselves to become the Gopher Clan.

In the same way, other Hopis found a nest of spiders and they named themselves the Spider Clan. Far ahead the Bear Clan traveled with Chief Bahana leading. Always, the Bear Clan seemed to move faster in many ways.

Spider Clan trailed all the clans because they had so many children. One day they came upon a friendly spider sitting near her large web. The Spider Clan encircled her as she spoke to their Chief, "I am Spider Woman, possessed of Supernatural Power. Since you are named for my people, I will help you in any way I can. "From: Native American Legends - Origin Of The Clans - Hopi

Some Hopi Clans are:

Spider, Bear, Gopher, Snake, Parrot, Water Clan, Antelope and many more! 

This picture is form:Spiders      

              Alaska grizzly bears

This picture is form:Alaska Bear Pictures of Polar, Grizzly and Black Bears

This picture is form: Gopher 2002

 


 

 
  		 Hopi Dances are private. I only got one picture off the internet. There dances are not for entertainment they are very ceremonial. Hopi's don't usually allow pictures to be taken by outsiders.

Dances are part of their religion, instead of churches they have kiva's.

Think about it, I know it seems odd that they don't allow pictures but, just think if your in  church and you are served the sacrament and people think it is cool so they want to get pictures of you eating.   That is kinda what it is like to take pictures at a Hopi dance.    

    The Hopi take their religion very seriously, just like anybody else, and everyone religion is different!  So if you go up to Hopi, leave the camera at home!

from: Hopi Summer Traditions - The Butterfly Dance

 

Click here for more information on the Hopi Tribe

 

 

 

 

 

 

This site was last updated 11/07/06