Overview
The name Hopi means "good in every respect." The tribe is descended from the Pueblo people of what is now the southwestern United States and many Hopis still reside in northeastern Arizona. Though the availability of wage employment has increased in recent years, many Hopis continue their traditional work as farmers and herders, producing corn, beans, and squash and raising sheep. Farming is an act of faith and is tied to religious ceremonies, which continue to play an important role in Hopi society and take place in partially underground rectangular structures known as kivas. In addition, maintaining a proper relationship with kachinas, supernatural beings associated with the spirits of ancestors, is an important part of the Hopi worldview.Synopsis
The name Hopi means "good in every respect." The tribe is descended from the Pueblo people of what is now the southwestern United States and many Hopis still reside in northeastern Arizona. Though the availability of wage employment has increased in recent years, many Hopis continue their traditional work as farmers and herders, producing corn, beans, and squash and raising sheep. Farming is an act of faith and is tied to religious ceremonies, which continue to play an important role in Hopi society and take place in partially underground rectangular structures known as kivas. In addition, maintaining a proper relationship with kachinas, supernatural beings associated with the spirits of ancestors, is an important part of the Hopi worldview.