Exploring a Hopi Village

10.01.05 hopi reservation

Lines mark old sheep pens. Farther below still, a band of green marks one of several springs that account for the existence of these ancient settlements. Water is life. This has not changed in the intervening centuries. Also unchanging is the jagged eastern horizon of stone buttes, marking a time when humans lived in closer connection to nature's cycles and rhythms. The precise position of the rising sun in relation to the rocky buttes once heralded ceremonies, although such events now often happen on weekends to accommodate people working off-reservation. Thus the pace of modern life reaches even here, though today the reservation seems an island of peace and tradition. Those who look closely will see messages from the past: the pigmented handprint on the beam of a log-and-brush ceiling, the grinding slicks worn into bedrock at edge of a cliff, the glimpse of a basalt mano mixed in with limestone masonry. No matter if you hail from Michigan or Mishongnovi, we who have adopted this harsh land as our home can treasure these messages.

As we head back across the narrow Gap and gaze at the patches of green far below, I think how delicately we are balnced between past and future on this single day in time. AlKathleen Bryant of Sedona says her most enduring Arizona memories are the back-road journeys she made with her parents many decades ago.

Dawn Kish of Flagstaff says the Hopi Indian Reservation keeps calling her back. She finds it one of the hardest places to photograph.

when you go

Location: The Hopi Reservation is 250 miles northeast of Phoenix and about 120 miles northeast of Flagstaff.

Getting There: From Flagstaff, drive east 60 miles on Interstate 40 to Winslow. Take State Route 87 north for 60 miles to Second Mesa.

Travel Advisory: The Hopi Cultural Center and most galleries are open year-round. The Cultural Center on Second Mesa has an inn and restaurant. Room reservations are strongly recommended. Camping is available nearby. Guided walking tours of the First Mesa village of Walpi are offered daily at Ponsi Hall. Galleries dot the mesas, and many artists sell work from their homes. Observe the visitor rules posted by each village. Photography, recording and sketching are prohibited. It is a privilege to be a guest at a ceremony, and good behavior affects the ceremony. Dress modestly and neatly and maintain a respectful attitude.

Additional Information: Hopi Indian Reservation, (928) 734-3283; www.hopi.nsn.us.