Road Scholar : Home
The Life and Land of the Hopi

Program Number: 1091RJ
Start and End Dates:
9/29/2013 - 10/4/2013; 10/20/2013 - 10/25/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Second Mesa (Hopi Reservation), Arizona
Price starting at: $750.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: Native American Studies; History & Culture Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 14; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 5 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Experience firsthand the traditions and life ways of one of the most ancient and venerated peoples of the Southwest. With Hopi instructors and leaders, visit 1,000-year-old villages and traditional sites unseen by the average tourist. Experience the Hopi’s rich culture through personal interaction with tribal members. Native art demonstrations, complex social, family and ceremonial life, oral traditions, Hopi history, and modern interaction with Anglo society are covered.




Highlights

• Learn about the Hopi creation story, clan system, religious beliefs and modern challenges both on and off the reservation.
• Observe Hopi artisans at work (potter, jeweler or katsina doll carver) to learn about the traditions associated with their crafts.
• Field trip to the ancient pueblo village of Walpi on First Mesa; enjoy a traditional Hopi meal prepared by tribal members.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to a mile (shorter distances available) at elevations of 6,000 feet.



Coordinated by Northern Arizona University.




Second Mesa (Hopi Reservation)

Not to be confused with the nearby town of the same name, Hopi Nation’s Second Mesa is located on the Hopi Reservation and comprises three Native American Hopi tribe villages. Art and craft shops dot the reservation displaying local handicraft, and archaeological and historic sites surround the region.
Accommodations
Hopi Cultural Center on Second Mesa (complex includes modern motel, restaurant, tribal museum and craft shops). Alcohol prohibited on the Hopi Reservation.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Richard Stephens
Rich has been director of Northern Arizona University’s highly popular Road Scholar programs since 2001. He previously spent many years in the field as a program coordinator and group leader, where he honed his skills and learned the importance of detailed, pre-trip planning. Before making his home in Arizona’s spectacular red-rock country, Rich spent 10 years in Yosemite National Park and the Santa Cruz mountains as an environmental educator.
 
James Poley
James Poley is from the village of Bacavi, on the Third Mesa of the Hopi Reservation. Born into the Reed Clan (one of 25 clans that make up the Hopi tribe), James has embraced the teachings, religion and lifestyle of the Hopi, and very much enjoys sharing these traditions with Road Scholar participants. James is a skilled Kachina doll carver, farmer and father of five children. His wife, Stephanie, often shares her love of cooking traditional Hopi meals with Road Scholar groups.
 
Ray Coin
A member of the Hopi tribe, Ray Coin is from the Third Mesa village of Bacavi on the Hopi Reservation in northeast Arizona. His father worked at the Museum of Northern Arizona, and while growing up, Ray and his siblings rubbed elbows with the geologists, archaeologists, ecologists and palaeontologists doing field work at the museum during the summer months. Ray has been sharing his Hopi culture with Road Scholar participants since 1993.
 
Dorothy Ami
Dorothy Ami is a well-respected Hopi potter. Her demonstrations detail the pottery making process — from gathering the clay to tempering, coiling a piece, making the paints from nature, painting with a yucca brush and firing.
 
Fern Lomayestewa
Fern Lomayestewa, of the Sun Clan, is an accomplished jeweler from the Hopi village of Shungopavi. As a jeweler for close to 40 years, she has traveled throughout the United States attending Indian Market Art Shows with her work. She has shared her skills of making Hopi overlay jewelry by tutoring other Hopi artist in the production of doing quality work. On ocassion, she has demonstrated her jewelry making to Northern Arizona University Road Scholar groups.
 
Emerson Ami
Emerson Ami is a member of the Hopi Tribal Police. He shares in the challenges of working in law enforcement on the Hopi Reservation.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   Hopi Cultural Center Motel
  Hopi Indian Reservation (Second Mesa) 5 nights
 Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Type: Motel
  Description: Tribal museum and craft shops on site; traditional Hopi dishes served in restaurant.
  Contact info: On route 264 5 miles west of juntion with route 87
Second Mesa, AZ 86043 USA
phone: 928-734-2401
web: www.hopiculturalcenter.com
  Room amenities: Cable TV and telephone; air-conditioning
  Facility amenities: Restaurant and meeting room.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Call motel for pricing. Stayovers or early arrivals not recommended for participants traveling via shuttle due to extremely limited shuttle schedule.
  Check in time: 3:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Call motel for pricing. Stayovers or early arrivals not recommended for participants traveling via shuttle due to extremely limited shuttle schedule.
  Check out time: 9:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
On site registration from 4:30 - 5:15 PM in hotel lobby. You will be staying at Hopi Cultural Center Motel that night.
  End of Program:
Depart after morning program/wrap up by 10:00 AM. You will be staying at Hopi Cultural Center Motel the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
Parking is free.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Hopi Indian Reservation (Second Mesa)
  Nearest city or town:  Flagstaff (90 miles to the southwest) is the nearest significant town off-reservation.
  Nearest highway: Route 264 (I-40 is 65 miles to the south)
  Nearest airport:  Phoenix (220 miles)
  From End of Program
  Location:  Departures
Travel Details
 

Hopi to/from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
A Van Go Shuttle
phone: 866-448-2646
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$100 estimated/ $175 RT
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

4 hours, 15 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

265 miles
   

Van Go Shuttle works exclusively with Road Scholar and times shuttles to arrive in conjunction with program start/end times. Best to arrive into Phoenix airport by 11:00 AM and book departures after 4:30PM. If you have questions, call shuttle company PRIOR to booking flights to aid in travel transfers. Pick up from all terminals at Phoenix airport, as well as nearby airport hotels, and drops off at program hotel.
 
Driving Directions
  Second Mesa AZ from US 160 Go south off Highway 160 onto Highway 191. Follow Highway 191 south for about 92 miles to junction with Highway 264. Turn right and follow 191 for 59 miles west to the summit of Second Mesa. The cultural center complex will be on your right about 5 miles west of the 264/87 junction.
  Second Mesa, AZ from I-40 From the I-40 take exit 257 for Highway 87. Turn north and follow Highway 87 for 67 miles to the junction with Highway 264. Turn left and follow Highway 264 5 miles up the side of Second Mesa. You'll see the cultural center complex on your right.
  Second Mesa, AZ from US 89 Take Highway 89 to the well marked junction with Highway 160, about 16 miles north of Cameron, AZ. Turn east towards Tuba City. In Tuba City, turn right on Highway 264, traveling 60 miles to the top of Second Mesa. You'll climb over Third Mesa, passing several villages, then drop down into a valley and pass by the north edge of Kykotsmovi Village before climbing up on Second Mesa. The cultural center complex will be on your left.
Elevation Note: Lodging and all program activities between 5,000 and 6,200 feet.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Arrival & Check-In/Orientation & Introductions
(Sunday, September 29)
   
 Afternoon: Motel check in after 3:00PM. Road Scholar program registration from 4:30 - 5:15 PM in the motel meeting room.
 Dinner: Dinner at the Hopi Cultural Center restaurant. Vegetarian options include salad, hopi bean taco, grilled cheese and cottage cheese.
 Evening: Introductions and orientation in the cultural center meeting room following dinner. Begin your discussion of Hopi culture with your coordinator, a member of the Hopi tribe.
   
Accommodations: Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Introduction to Hopi Culture/Field trip to Dawa Park/Hopi Katsina ceremonial cycle
(Monday, September 30)
   
 Breakfast: Choose from a number of breakfast selections at the Hopi Cultural Center Restaurant. Eggs, oatmeal, toast and bacon are among the choices. Coffee or tea and juice included.
 Morning: Hopi Culture lecture regarding the emergence and migration to the present day on the mesas in northeastern Arizona.
 Lunch: Lunch in the cultural center restaurant. Choose from a variety of sandwiches daily. Beverage and french fries or fruit included with each meal. Vegetarian choices available.
 Afternoon: Following lunch the group will depart for Dawa Park to view an amazing array of rock art -- over 1000 images have been counted. To get there, travel across the mesas to this beautiful site where images were carved in rock over hundreds of years. Although their meanings can never truly be known, your Hopi guide will interpret some of the images as they relate to clan symbols known today. The terrain at Dawa Park is sandy and uneven, but some of the rock art is within 50 feet of the vehicles so it can be accessed and viewed by all participants.
 Dinner: Dinner choices vary every evening. Each entree comes with a salad, beverage and scoop of ice cream. Vegetarian options available.
 Evening: An evening presentation explores the Hopi Ceremonial cycle or other pertinent topic of interest to the week's study.
   
Accommodations: Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Hopi Pottery making demonstration/Field Trip to Walpi Village/Contemporary Hopi Issues
(Tuesday, October 1)
   
 Breakfast: Choose from a number of breakfast selections at the Hopi Cultural Center Restaurant. Eggs, oatmeal, toast and bacon are among the choices. Coffee or tea and juice included.
 Morning: Enjoy a pottery demonstration from start to finish with an engaging presentation. The process begins with clay gathering at sacred sites; the tempering process; coiling, shaping and building techniques; burnishing; design and painting techniques; and finally the firing process with sheep dung. See pieces in all stages of the process from wet clay to finished masterpieces, some with fire clouds.
 Lunch: Lunch in the cultural center restaurant. Choose from a variety of sandwiches daily. Beverage and french fries or fruit included with each meal. Vegetarian choices available.
 Afternoon: Take an afternoon field trip to the village of Walpi on First Mesa. Walpi commands a stunning setting with its centuries-old pueblos perched on the edge of First Mesa, overlooking ancient and traditional fields below. The walking tour of the village takes you past ancient structures, Hopi bread ovens, kivas and a plaza area for dances and ceremonies. Some of the structures are still lived in while others are used by traditional families during times of ceremonies. The town has no electricity or running water. The walk is approximately one mile round-trip on uneven terrain and takes about one hour to complete.
 Dinner: Dinner choices vary every evening. Each entree comes with a salad, beverage and scoop of ice cream. Vegetarian options available.
 Evening: Evening program in the Cultural Center meeting room on one or more contemporary Hopi issues -- land disputes, health, law enforcement, etc.
   
Accommodations: Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Kachina Carving and Significance of Katsinas in Hopi Culture/Piki making Demonstration
(Wednesday, October 2)
   
 Breakfast: Choose from a number of breakfast selections at the Hopi Cultural Center Restaurant. Eggs, oatmeal, toast and bacon are among the choices. Coffee or tea and juice included.
 Morning: Watch a kachina carving demonstration while learning the significance of these items in Hopi culture.
 Lunch: Lunch in the cultural center restaurant. Choose from a variety of sandwiches daily. Beverage and french fries or fruit included with each meal. Vegetarian choices available.
 Afternoon: Today's field trip will visit a local community member's private piki house for a demonstration on how to make Hopi traditional piki bread. Made with ground blue cornmeal and ashes to preserve the color, it is a traditional food made on a special stone. Make sure to sample some of this unique "bread" and learn about its cultural significance while observing its creation in a time-honored tradition.
 Dinner: Dinner at the Hopi Cultural Center restaurant. Vegetarian options include salad, hopi bean taco, grilled cheese and cottage cheese.
 Evening: Free evening to get together with your fellow travelers to discuss the week's events.
   
Accommodations: Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Silver-Working Demonstration/Field trip to Ozaivi Village/Home-Cooked Hopi Traditional Dinner
(Thursday, October 3)
   
 Breakfast: Choose from a number of breakfast selections at the Hopi Cultural Center Restaurant. Eggs, oatmeal, toast and bacon are among the choices. Coffee or tea and juice included.
 Morning: Watch a Hopi silversmith at work, demonstrating the overlay process.
 Lunch: Lunch in the cultural center restaurant. Choose from a variety of sandwiches daily. Beverage and french fries or fruit included with each meal. Vegetarian choices available.
 Afternoon: Tour of one of the oldest continuously inhabited villages in the United States. Walk around Ozaivi's plaza and see some of the old construction, kiva entrances and ruins of a catholic church as you hear a recounting of the village's history. From atop the mesa you can see down to the fields below where dry farming techniques are used.
 Dinner: Home-cooked Hopi dinner. The menu will be a traditional corn hominy stew. During the meal you will have the opportunity to converse with Hopi community members in an informal setting.
 Evening: Continue your discussion. The traditional dinner will stretch into evening hours. Return to the Hopi Cultural Center after dinner.
   
Accommodations: Hopi Cultural Center Motel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Questions and Answers, Farewells
(Friday, October 4)
   
 Breakfast: Choose from a number of breakfast selections at the Hopi Cultural Center Restaurant. Eggs, oatmeal, toast and bacon are among the choices. Coffee or tea and juice included.
 Morning: Morning question and answer session with your Hopi program coordinator. Program recap and farewells. Program ends in time for 10:00 AM checkout and for those to catch the shuttle.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


Hopi Summer: Letters from Ethel to Maud


Author: Carolyn O'Bagy Davis


Description: Hopi Summer tells the true story of a special cross-cultural friendship. In 1927 Maud Melville, a wealthy New Englander, and Ethel Muchvo, a Hopi potter, struck up a remarkable friendship. Using diaries, letters, and photographs of Ethel and Maud, biographer and historian Carolyn O'Bagy Davis delves into the touching relationship that blossomed between two very different women over many years of triumphs and sorrows. The story of Ethel and Maud also documents a bygone time in Native American history, a "Hopi summer" before wrenching change came to the traditional Pueblo world of the Hopi. 60 b/w photos.



Me and Mine: The Life Story of Helen Sekaquaptewa


Author: Udall, Louise


Description: An energetic Hopi woman emerges from a traditional family background to embrace the more conventional way of life in American today. Enchanting and enlightening—a rare piece of primary source anthropology. 262 pp



Native Roads : The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations


Author: Kosik, Frank


Description: Using the mile markers of the US, Arizona, and Navajo highways and routes running through the Navajo and Hopi nations as her organizing principle, the author offers a travel guide to the sites found in the area. Natural, historical, and cultural points of interest are covered, along with some information on lodging and services. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR 304pp



The Fourth World of the Hopis: The Epic Story of the Hopi Indians As Preserved in Their Legends and Traditions


Author: Courlander, Harold


Description: Folklorist Courlander traces Hopi legends from the tribe’s search through the wilderness for its home location to its settling on the Hopi Mesas and development thereafter. 239pp





You can't find a better value than Road Scholar.


As a not-for-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing all-inclusive educational programs at great value. From lectures to gratuities to field trips to accommodations - the tuition you pay up front is all that you pay.



Specifically, this program includes:

Plus these special experiences...

View the Daily Schedule to see more

And included with all Road Scholar programs:


© Road Scholar 2013 | Call toll-free: 1-800-454-5768