Hopi Migration Traditions: A Fulfillment of the Spiritual Covenant

Summary

For thousands of years, the Hopi clans have traversed both the South and North American continents. Today, this presence is evidenced by the thousands of Hopi/Puebloan archaeological ruins. As well, esoteric ceremonies of today are ancient ceremonies and reinforce a living connection to our cultural history and religion.

This great migration period of Hopi people was in fulfillment of a spiritual covenant between clans and our spiritual deity and guardian called Ma’sawu.

Ma’sawu is the guardian and caretaker of this fourth world. So to earn the honor of living with him, clans submitted to this covenant to place our cultural footprints on both continents. If clans completed journeys to the four cardinal directions, then they were instructed to wait and eventually be led to their final spiritual home, the Hopi mesas in northern Arizona. This fulfillment of the covenant would grant the Hopi people a title of universal stewards.

Today these footprints are represented by ancient Hopi ruins, landscapes, burials, pottery sherds, petroglyphs, and trails.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Pueblo Movement and the Archaeology of Becoming

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15920