THIS IS THE HOPI WAY

Tarjei originally wanted to be an anthropologist. He got side-tracked by biology, and never looked back. However, he always maintained a secret interest in the indigenous people of North America, especially the gentle Hopi culture. When our kids misbehaved, he used to say, “But That is not the Hopi Way,” and sometimes they would actually listen. He also pointed out that Hopi women breastfed their babies until age 7 years, and suggested that I might do the same.

We have spent the last five days in Arizona and New Mexico on an educational expedition with “Road Scholar”. We were in a group of 24 adults, mostly over age 60. We started in Flagstaff Arizona and travelled around in 3 vans. We visited archeological sites abandoned 800 years ago, and pueblo villages built in 1200 AD, which are still inhabited today — stone houses, no running water, no electricity. We climbed up hills, through ruins, and down into canyons. We had music and pottery demonstrations. We heard conflicting views from experts about why settlements were created and why they disappeared. We met really interesting Hopi and Navajo people who showed us their homes. We learned that the Hopi people had been part of the ancient Pueblo culture, but the Navajo were relatively recent arrivals in the American Midwest. The Navajo actually came from the Dene population of Northern Canada — around 1300 AD. We have seen sunrise over the desert It has been great.

Tomorrow we return to Flagstaff and pick up the car from the parking lot and the dogs from the kennel. Then we continue our journey.Read more