A visit to the Hopi Mesas, located in northern Arizona, is a journey back in time. The Hopi people came to the Mesas in ancient times. Hopi is the oldest continuously practiced culture in the United States. According to Hopi guides, the Hopi religion and culture have been practiced for more than 3,000 years.
Because the Hopi have maintained their religion and culture over the years, they naturally protect their practices and lifestyle. To see more at the Hopi Mesas and to be respectful of people’s privacy, it is recommended that you visit with a guide.
Choose a guide
The Hopi have a unique religion and philosophy. To better understand people, it is imperative that your guide is from one of the Hopi Mesas. To choose a guide, consider:
– Is it the native Hopi guide?
– If the guide drives it, does the guide have commercial insurance and a license?
– Does the guide speak Hopi?
We work with guide Ray Coin, who has an office behind the Hopi Cultural Center, Sacred Travel & Images, LLC. Ray has a background that includes time at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
He has lectured on the Hopi at Northern Arizona University and is an instructor with Exploritas. I enjoyed the perspective of Ray as a person who has lived both in Hopi (he was born in Bacavi) and in the outside world. Ray was in the travel business for years and is licensed to drive visitor groups.
Before touring with Ray, I didn’t have a clear idea of where I could go in the Hopi and where I couldn’t. He knew that things were often closed due to the ceremonial calendar, but of course he was not privy to that information.
Having a local guide will make your way easier just like when visiting a foreign country.
Touring the Hopi Tables
We asked for a tour of the main Hopi destinations and found that it would take a minimum of one day. We had a leisurely breakfast in the restaurant of the Hopi Cultural Center and discussed our plans. The food there is excellent, by the way.
First Mesa and the town of Walpi
Our first stop was First Mesa. First Mesa consolidates the cities of Walpi, Sichomovi and Tewa. Walpi, the oldest and most historic, sits above the valley at 300 feet.
We drove down the winding road (fine for cars and trucks) and enjoyed views of the valley dotted with houses and farm plots. It was a beautiful sunny day with little wind.
We parked at the Ponsi Hall community center and went inside to use the bathroom and wait for the tour. (Our guide had already paid the fee and checked us in). Finally (there are no specific times) the tour began with a lecture by a Hopi female patient.
We learned about life at First Mesa and were told how our walking tour would unfold.
We were excited to hike the short distance to Walpi, high above the valley. We carefully read the rules posted within the community center that reminded us not to pet dogs and indicated that ceremonial dances at First Mesa would be closed to visitors.
As we walked, the Kachina carvers and potters offered us their wares. We were often invited into the homes to see the handicrafts. I recommend that you enter a house when you are invited. The interior is as fascinating as the exterior of these traditional buildings.
In one house I had the pleasure of seeing a long row of kachina dolls hanging on the upper wall. They were the dolls of the potter’s granddaughter.
All the artisan offerings were authentic and some were of the quality seen in galleries. Prices can be negotiated. When doing a Hopi tour, bring lots of cash!
Just before entering Walpi, we noticed that the electrical cables stopped. The few families still living in Walpi traditionally live without external public services. As we toured, our guide pointed to the Kivas, the squares where the ceremonial dances would take place, and we looked over the edge of the cliff, amazed that the first inhabitants climbed the cliff daily to transport the water to their homes.
Everyone on the tour was in awe of Walpi’s history and beauty. We visited the carvers, admired their wares, and promised to return after saving more cash to buy a true Hopi treasure.
First Mesa and Walpi tours are open to the public. There is a charge of $ 13 per person for the one hour walking tour.
Visitors to Second Mesa can also tour the town of Sipaulovi. Look for the visitor center in the center of town. When we arrived, it was closed so we didn’t tour. This is not unusual in Hopi. We thought it would be interesting to go back and tour the top of the old town. There is a charge of $ 15 per person for the walking tour.
More information: www.sipaulovihopiinformationcenter.org
Third Mesa
Ray took us to Oraibi (ozaivi) in Third Mesa. Located in the westernmost part of the Hopi tables, this is probably the oldest inhabited town in the Southwest, dating to perhaps 1000-1100 AD. Old Oraibi documents Hopi culture and history from before European contact to the present day. We started our tour by stopping at the store, where we parked.
Ray accompanied us through the town that was preparing for a weekend ceremonial. Residents were outside doing yard work and cleaning.
We understood that during the weekend the town would increase to several thousand when the people returned for the ceremonial dances. Earlier in the day, we were concerned that we might not be able to do a tour as the men were arriving at the Kivas and carrying ceremonial gear inside.
As we walked through the current town, we came to an area, at the back, that overlooked the valley. The stones of the houses had fallen to the ground and the town was flat. In the town where we had just toured, the newer houses were built on top of old, layer upon layer.
This place was very different. Ray explained that the village had divided into lines of traditional and contemporary believers. In 1906. Tribal leaders on different sides of the schism participated in a bloodless competition to determine the outcome, which resulted in the expulsion of the traditionalists, who left to found the village of Hotevilla.
As we reflected on this ideological divide, Ray turned our attention to the tables in the far distance and explained how the position of the sun would be used to mark the ceremonial calendar.
If you visit Oraibi without a guide, stop by the store and ask where you can and cannot go. I think it is a closed town. I recommend that you go with a guide. Oraibi is known as the “mother village” of the Hopi and it is important that you learn some history to fully appreciate what you are seeing.
Ray offers a narrated tour through Kykotsmovi, Bacavi, stopping at Ozaivi for a walking tour (2 hour tour) and charges $ 25 per person.
To fully appreciate Hopi culture and lands, it’s important to tour all three tables with an expert guide. .
Take your time, reflect on what they will tell you, appreciate the culture and people’s point of view, and open your mind… and your heart. You will come back for more!
More information
Ray Coin tourist services:
located behind the Second Mesa Cultural Center
Sacred Travel & Images, LLC
PO Box 919
Hotevilla, AZ 86030
Phone: (928) 734-6699 (928) 734-6699
fax: (928) 734-6692
Email: [email protected]
Ray offers tours of Hopi Mesas and Dawa Park, a petroglyph site. He will also do personalized tours throughout Arizona. They will pick you up at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn if you are staying there.
Marlinda Kooyaquaptewa’s Tours:
located behind the Second Mesa Cultural Center
Email: [email protected]
$ 20 per hour
Marlinda offers shopping tours, village tours, and prophecy tours.
Excellent Las Vegas Review-Journal article highlighting another tour provider.
