If You Lived With the Hopi (If You)

What I Learned Section 1 -- Answer the Following Questions:
1. Where did the Hopi live?
In the Arizona high desert. The Hopi were Pueblo Indians living one hundred miles east of the Grand Canyon. They were farmers (not hunters) which means they stayed in one place and built their villages near the fields and springs. Their stone and clay houses were usually two to three stories high and had a flat roof. The Hopi ate corn, squash, beans, wild plants, seeds, wild potatoes, berries, piñon nuts, and wild greens. They got their water from a spring because there were no lakes or rivers in the desert.

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2. The Hopi were given four names. When were these names given?
At birth, at age six, as an adult, and at death. At birth, Hopi were given their first name in a naming ceremony which would show their father's clan. At age 6, they were given a new name in a religious ceremony. As an adult, Hopi were given another name that they kept for the rest of their life. And at death, they were given a silent name which was never spoken.

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3. What did the Hopi wear?
Mantas, breechcloth, kilts, leggings, sandals, and moccasins. The Hopi clothes were made out of cotton they grew themselves. Women wore mantas which were black cotton blankets wrapped around, fastened together on their shoulder, and tied with a sash at their waist. Men wore breechcloths or kilts. In the cold weather, the Hopi wore leggings. And they wore either sandals made from yucca plant or moccasins made of deerskin.

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4. How did the Hopi learn?
From their parents. Hopi girls learned what their mothers did such as repairing the walls of their house, making pottery, and cooking. Hopi boys learned what their fathers did such as farming, putting on religious ceremonies, spinning cotton, weaving, and sewing clothes.

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5. What games did the Hopi play?
Team sports, races, ball games, dart-throwing contests, archery, and a game similar to field hockey. Did you know the Hopi enjoyed playing games for fun and not to see who won?

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What I Learned Section 2 -- Define the following words:
Pueblo: village

Clan: people who were related to you through your mother's female ancestors

Mesa: small, flat-topped mountain

Kachinas: the Hopi's special protectors

Reservation: land the U.S. government set aside for Native American tribes to use

1934 Indian Reorganization Act: law stating the U.S. government should help protect Native American traditions, not destroy them, and stating Native Americans had a right to their own land and to more self-government

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Bonus Questions (Answer 1 of the Following Questions for Your FREE Bookmark):
a. What was the Hopi religion?
They believed everything in nature had its own sacred spirit. People, animals, plants, rocks, and clouds had this spirit. The Hopi believed in great spirits, sometimes called gods, including Sósqtuknang, Tawa, and Kokyang Wuuti. Did you know the Hopi Way was to be helpful and kind to others and to live in harmony with the world? They believed good thoughts had the power to help.

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b. What happened to the Hopi when the American settlers came?
In 1848, the land of the Hopi became part of the United States when the U.S. won the Mexican War. At first, the Hopi were left alone. Later, when white settlers moved onto their land, the Hopi complained to President Chester A. Arthur, and the Hopi were moved to a reservation that did not include the Hopi ancestral land. The U.S. government forced the Hopi to start living like white Americans. The Hopi children were taken to boarding schools, dressed in American-style clothes, forbidden to practice their own religion, called by an American name, and did not see their families for long periods of time. In 1934, this began to change under President Franklin D. Roosevelt when the Indian Reorganization Act was passed. This law stated the U.S. government should protect Native American traditions, not destroy them. The Hopi children attended nearby schools and were taught Hopi heritage. Today, the Hopi still honor their ancient traditions, clans are strong, and children are taught the Hopi Way of living in peace and cooperation.

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c. Use five of the words in Section 2 in a sentence.
Answers will vary. Here are sample sentences from our young readers:
I live in a big city, not a pueblo.

The people of my clan are very nice, like my mom, my aunts, and my grandmother.

There are many mesas in Arizona.

Kachinas protect the Hopi.

I visited a reservation in the Black Hills last year.

My class studied the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act.

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d. Have a parent or friend give you a spelling test with EACH of the words in Section 2.

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More Valuable Information about the Hopi:
The Official Web Site of the Hopi Tribe
The Official Hopi Cultural Preservation Office
Pueblo Cultural Center

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