Summary
The Hopi provides insight into a remarkable group of people who live in one of the most remote parts of what is now the United States. From their origins in multiple underground worlds (traditional) or in Asia and Mesoamerica (scientific), through many years of wandering, the Hopi finally settled on a series of high mesas in northwestern Arizona. There they have eked out a living, mainly as agriculturalists, through sheer hard work and by remaining true to their complex religion and spirituality. Since the arrival of non-Natives in the mid-16th century, the Hopi have gone through at least two convulsive events in an effort to retain their way of life. Within the past century, the Hopi have both struggled with and embraced modern American life. Ceremonialism, gender roles, and economics have changed significantly. The people have grappled with the strip mining of lands and the commercialization of their culture, as well as the range of health issues that beset many American Indians. Still, the Hopi endure as a people with a rich heritage and a strong capacity for both change and survival. Readers will discover the rich history of the Hopi people, as well as how they live today, in this informative new book.
Specifications
Full-color and black-and-white photographs, illustrations, and maps. Box features. Sidebars. Timeline. Bibliography. Further reading. Glossary. Index.
About the Author(s)
Barry M. Pritzker has written Native America Today: A Guide to Community Politics and Culture and Native Americans: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Peoples, and has coedited the Encyclopedia of American Indian History. He has taught on the Taos Pueblo and at schools in Arizona, Massachusetts, and France. Pritzker currently works at Skidmore College.