The name of the town honors Tuuvi, a Hopi headman, who converted to Mormonism. The Navajo name for Tuba City, Tó Naneesdizí translates as "tangled waters", which probably refers to the many below-ground springs that are the source of several reservoirs
Most of our group did the half day tour and six brave souls took the all day tour (eight hours). As we left Tuba City, the wide expanse of the land of the Hopi People spread before us.
Our guides were excellent and regaled us with tails of the history, culture, family life and beliefs of the Hopi. We visited several villages and some ancient sites where they interpreted petroglyphs
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No photography was allowed in the villages. If you would like to see photographs of what the villages look like, go to https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=images+of+hopi+villages
The Hopi people trace their history in Arizona to more than 2,000 years, but their history as a people goes back many more thousands of years. According to their legends, the Hopi migrated north to Arizona from the south, up from what is now South America, Central America and Mexico.
The tribe’s teachings relate stories of a great flood and other events dating to ancient times, marking the Hopi as one of the oldest living cultures in documented history. A deeply religious people, they live by the ethic of peace and goodwill.
The Hopi Reservation, in northeastern Arizona, occupies part of Navajo and Coconino counties and encompasses approximately 1,542,306 acres. Having inhabited this high and dry area since the 12th century, the Hopi have developed a unique agriculture practice, “dry farming.” They raise corn, beans, squash, melons and other crops in a landscape that appears inhospitable to farming.
The Hopi villages are found at both the base and the top of three mesas dominating the landscape. These mesas project to the south from the enormous Black Mesa formation like fingers on a giant hand.
First Mesa has three villages on top and one at the base.
Walpi is widely considered the most spectacular of the Hopi villages as it is terraced into a narrow rock table. Old stone Houses appear to cling to the cliffs, overlooking an expansive view that is largely unchanged by the centuries.
Second Mesa has three villages.
Most of the religious and ceremonial activities originate from Shungopavi, however Sipaulovi has the distinction of being the last village established after the “Pueblo Revolt”, the uprising that saved the Hopi from possible Spanish reprisal.
Third Mesa further west has four villages. Old Oraibi (considered the oldest continuously inhabited village in North America) is on this mesa.
Moenkopi is where a branch of Old Oraibi was established as a farming village. Later, it became a permanent settlement.
In addition to the mesas and villages, the Hopi people are internationally acclaimed as artisans. First Mesa is known for their pottery; Second Mesa is well known for coiled basketry. Third Mesa is renowned for wicker basketry, weaving, kachina doll carving and silversmithing.
Some of us purchased beautiful handmade art from the residents.
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| Wood Carving purchased from one of the few women carvers |
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| Blue corn and regular |
Day two was an exploration of Tuba City including the Navajo Interactive Museum,
shopping at the Trading Post,
a small Code Talkers Museum
and a visit to the Navajo Boarding School.
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| The School |
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| In the Classroom |
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| Navajo language teach explaining methods |
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| The students are required to know the Pledge of Allegiance in Navajo and English and must recite it daily |
And of course the evening ended with more food, a Navajo buffet.
There were plenty of leftovers which some kind hearted members brought to the camp ground for the stray dogs.
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