Hopi << HOH pee >> are one of the Pueblo tribes. According to the 2020 census, there are about 12,500 Hopi people. Many live in 11 villages in Arizona on or near three high mesas (tablelands). One village, Oraibi, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited villages in the United States. It was founded about 800 years ago.
Like their early ancestors, many Hopi grow crops on plots of valley land. Some Hopi earn additional income by making and selling baskets, pottery, silver jewelry, and Kachina dolls. The carved wooden dolls represent messengers sent by the gods. Religious ceremonies play an important part in the life of the Hopi. At certain times of the year, Hopi men dress as Kachinas and perform dances in the village square or in underground structures called kivas.
See also Indigenous peoples of the Americas; Kachina; Navajo; Pueblo; Snake dance.
