The Hopi of Arizona

The Hopi lived in the northeastern part of Arizona in the United States.The United States is a very modern country.Tall buildings, highways, computers, and hundreds of other modern things are a part of every American's life. Somehow, with modern things all around them, the Hopi keep their traditions.

There are about ten thousand (10,000) Hopi and they live in twelve villages in the desert.The weather is very hot in 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 and 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 pickup 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 learn English and other subjects.A few Hopi go to universities.Some of the adults live and work in nearby towns.

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.