Hopi's Influence On Native American Culture

The stars bring inspiration to many cultures. Several Native American tribes look to the sky for answers. They use simple observations of celestial bodies to help understand and regulate their lives. The Hopi tribe primarily watch the Sun and the Moon. They spend their time watching the objects in the sky and performing activities based on their observations. Many of the activities that they perform hold religious and cosmic significance to them. The Hopi use their given knowledge to understand important aspects in their lives. They invest themselves in being strongly connected with nature. This connection leads to a strong relationship and understanding of the earth's motion and annual appearance of objects in the sky. The Hopi have lived in the Southwestern United States for many years. In their time in this fourth world, they have performed set rituals and observations that have helped their tribe function and determine their way of life. Their location on North American soil has allowed them to watch the motions of the sun, moon, and stars along the horizon of mountain ranges. “The calendars consisted of up to twenty dips and notches on
the distant skyline. Each one was clearly identified and marked the signal for the beginning of a particular crop-planting operation during the agricultural season” (Hadingham 136). Along with having observational knowledge of many celestial objects, the Hopi practice religion and stay connected with nature in many aspects of their lives. Although the Hopi prospered their early history, they now struggle to keep their traditions alive.
The influence of Westerners has changed the Hopi way of life and much of their language and traditions have been lost. However, many Hopi have persevered through Western influence and have worked to keep their rituals and beliefs alive. “The Hopi are fully aware that they cannot simply return to their past way of life, but they also refuse to acquiesce to the 'civilizing' structures of the United States” (Loftin 84). This important characteristic of perseverance of the Hopi has allowed them to prosper with what they have. Much of original Hopi land has disappeared with the influence of Westerners. This fact has changed the nature of many Hopi traditions because the Hopi rely on their land and it is crucial to their way of
life. Hopi use the land they live on to survive. They connect spiritually with the earth and show their appreciation to the land. Each grain of food they eat comes from the earth and they express their gratitude in a ceremonial manner. “By calling out the appropriate times for planting crops as well as for ceremonies, the sun watcher and the villagers experience transcendence of time, for they feel they have reactualized the eternal era, when crops were first planted” (Loftin 6). The act of planting represents the act of their deities who taught the Hopi how to plant. Many of their harvests and plantings rely on their yearly rituals. They perform rituals to show gratitude and ensure correct planting seasons commence at the correct time of year. The Hopi deities taught the people how to plant, however, they also taught many other sacred activities that the Hopi still perform today.