Indian Country - Hopi Mesas AZ

Our first stop after leaving Bonito Campground is the Cameron Trading Post. We had met a woman with a beautiful turquoise necklace in the Wupatki ruins who had bought it at the Cameron Trading Post, so of course I had to stop there to check it out. Cameron is one of the longest continually operating trading posts.

I immediately find the Navajo rugs where a young lady named Victoria graciously explains the traditions of Navajo women weaving these marvelous rugs.  First, each young prospective weaver is taught the songs and prayers used to prepare themselves to weave. Each region of the Navajo Reservation has it's own weaving traditions and patterns. Mostly each rug does not follow a set design worked out before the rug is begun. Instead, the design evolves as the weaving progresses. Usually, once the first half is completed the second half is the mirror image of the first half.

Although we find many wonderful things we would love to possess, the prices are a bit higher than our finances will allow... Ouch - $65,000 dollars for an antique basket??? Why am I always attracted to the most expensive item in a store?

Cameron Trading Post

Victoria

Navajo Rugs

Tuba City makes a good base from which to explore the Hopi Mesas, so we camp at the only game in town, behind the Quality Inn. 

Registering at the Quality Inn

Our home for two nights

As we head out of Tuba City to the Hopi mesas, we notice the rain showers from the night before have left their moisture in the Hopi fields. Later we learn it's the time of planting corn with many accompanying festivals and dances (which we just missed). Carlos at the Cultural Center on Second Mesa is very generous with his information about Hopi beliefs and gives us small corn husk wrapped packets of sweetened piki dough which are traditional gifts to the children helping with the corn planting. The Hopi have learned to mix the ashes of special bushes with their piki corn meal which releases important amino acids to better balance their diets. Corn only diets can lead to a variety of health problems later in life including a form of psychosis (some archeologists argue the high priests and seers of the Chaco Culture may have suffered from this condition - but more on this later).
The Hopi are a very conservative culture and severely restrict where photos can be taken. Consequently, we mostly have just landscape shots of the Hopi mesas.

The road climbing up Third Mesa

The road down Third Mesa

Hopis say this left turn can be especially dangerous in winter

Carlos at the Cultural Center arranges a tour for us of Prophecy Rock and Tewa Park, also known as Petroglyph Park with Marlinda of Corn Maiden Arts. Our first stop is Prophecy Rock which tells of the story of Masauwu, keeper of the Fourth World, who welcomed the good people escaping the Third World with the three gifts of water, corn seed and a planting stick. Masauwu also instructed the Hopi people on stewardship of the land as well as predicting the arrival of the white man and other events. We were stunned at the accuracy of some of these predictions. Maybe we should listen to what the Hopi have to say.

Prophecy Rock with Masauwu at the bottom giving welcome gifts at bottom

Guardian Rock who protects Prophecy Rock

Marlinda explains Prophecy Rock

She then takes us to Tewa Park, which is a long cliff face of mostly red rock. She first shows us a rock covered with pottery shards. She shows us a rock with a black varnish which are used to help mix paints for their pots. She explains the Hopi believe in leaving a trace of themselves at all the places they have migrated through so they can find their way back. Hopis do return to previous sites of important occupations, such as Chaco, where they believe their ancestors came from.

Marlinda leads us to the cliffs

Pottery shards

Rock used for pottery paint

Petroglyphs are everywhere and it's a bit overwhelming to remember everything Marlinda tells us about what they mean. Glyphs of a flute player, bear paws, and others are clan signs. The round coiled symbols represent their migrations. Others are of various Kachinas, messengers from the Gods. The stair stepped glyph, popular on jewelry, represents the various stages of life from infancy to old age.

A flute player bottom left + migration glyphs

Kachina glyph

Bear claw clan upper left - with two stages of life glyphs

These cliffs are covered with petroglyphs illustrating a long history of the Hopi in this location. Some glyphs are very high up and we wonder how their creators managed to get up there.

Cliff face of Tewa Park

Crown w glyphs

How did they get up there?

These cliffs have lots of nooks and crannies which were useful places to hide things from would be thieves.

Hiding place for caches

Peter checks it out

Narrow view of sky

It appears we are not the only creatures in the park today. In following a snake glyph we surprise two lizards who were in the middle of mating. They understandably look chagrined to see us. The male gallantly tries to lure us away from his sweetheart who hides in their home in the rock. Marlinda points out a valued bee hive that gives the Hopis sweet honey. She also shows us the spring of water which is now covered with rocks to discourage others from living at this site.

We surprise two amorous lizards

Honey producing bee hive

Covered water spring

Times were not always peaceful for the Hopis living at this site. When they were attacked by outsiders, women and children were hidden in narrow crack in the cliff.

Hiding place

Peter explores it

It's pretty narrow

With over 100 clans, their marks are quite common on these cliffs. Marlinda points them out to us as well as explaining a weather prediction rock that says when rings are around the moon to expect rains, but with rings around the sun to prepare for bad weather (or was that reversed?).

Hands, rattles, and bear claw clan glyphs

The bear clan was big here

Weather guide glyphs

It's been a great morning at Tewa Park and we take one last look before moving on.
In our wanderings over the Hopi mesas, we have the opportunity to meet a few of the prominent Hopi artists living in the area including Roy Talahaftewa, Ramon Dalangyawma, and Trinidad Lucas. We are impressed by their humble spirits as well as their excellent craftsmanship. Although the following pieces are not by these artists, they are examples of Hopi silver work gleaned from the web:

Ring

Man in Maze pendant

Silver cuff

It's been an honor to meet the Hopi people and we vow to return next time so we can attend some of their dances and events open to the public... but it's time to saddle up the IQ and hit the road for Canyon de Chelly.