The Hopi of Arizona
The Hopi live in the northwestern part of Arizona in the United States. With modern things all around them, the Hopi keep their traditions.
There are about ten thousand Hopi and they live in twelve villages in the desert. The weather is very hot in the summer, but in winter it freezes. The wind blows hard. Farming is difficult. Corn is the Hopi’s main food, but they plant vegetables, too. They raise sheep, goats, and cattle. They also eat hamburgers, ice cream and drink soft drinks. They live in traditional stone houses, but many of them have telephones, radios, and television. They have horses, but they have trucks too.
Kachinas are an important part of the Hopi religion. Kachinas are spirits of dead people, of rocks, plants, and animals, and of the stars. Men dress as kachinas and do religious dances. People also make wooden kachinas. No two wooden kachinas are ever alike.
The children attend school, and they also learn the Hopi language, dances and stories. The Hopi want a comfortable, modern life, but they don’t want to lose their traditions.