The Hopi Matthew Pantoja

where they live The Hopi live in the desert of Arizona and New Mexico. They are part of the Pueblo tribe. The land that they lived on was a low, flat desert with some high plateaus called mesas. The climate was very dry, so dry that a few trees grew there. It could get very hot in the daytime and very cold at night. They built and lived in homes called Pueblos, which were made of adobe, a mixture of straw, clay and water. The doors to their pueblo was so high that you needed a ladder to get into the house.

what they eat/grow Even though it was difficult, the Hopi were great farmers. They used irrigation to water their crops of beans, corn, squash, melons and pumpkins. They also raised sheep for meat and wool.

how they dressed The Hopi were expert weavers and made their clothes from cotton and wool to keep cool in the day and warm at night. Men wore a simple breechcloth for cover and deerskin moccasins on their feet, their hair in a bun called a homsoma along with a headband tied around their forehead. Women wore mantas which were light dresses that left one shoulder exposed and came down to their knees. They also wore moccasins on their feet and if it was a special occasion they decorated them. The Hopi liked to adorn themselves with accessories. These included wildflowers, beaded necklaces, various feathers, and eventually silver jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets and rings.

their art The Hopi made beautiful pottery, many of pottery artifacts remain today on display in museums. The Hopi were also skilled at making jewelry. They used shells, beads, and a beautiful stone called turquoise. Later the Spanish taught them how to work with silver.

their transportation On land the Hopi walked on foot. But when they had to travel by water they built water- worthy canoes that they made from trees. To make a canoe they used an adz. An adz is an axe + a giant spoon. They used that to get out the insides of a log.

religion/traditions The Hopi were very religious and held special ceremonies in an underground circular room called a kiva. They believed in over 300 different strong spirits that control nature called kachinas. They carved kachina dolls to teach their children the names and powers of the different spirits.