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Hopi Kachinas: History and Artistry

A Learning Vacation in Arizona
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For centuries, the Hopi people have lived on three arid but beautiful desert mesas in northeastern Arizona, practicing a belief system of harmonious balance between humans and the cosmos. An important part of this belief is the kachina (katsina) tradition. In Hopi culture, supernatural kachina beings have many manifestations. They are messengers and rainmakers, coming as clouds to the villages and playing an important role in the ceremonial calendar.

With renowned archaeologist Dr. E. Charles Adams, we examine Hopi kachina imagery in rock art, pottery, and kiva murals, and its transition from a teaching tool into secular fine art. On the Hopi mesas, we visit with kachina carvers, potters, and basket weavers. Other scholars join us as we visit the Heard Museum and the Museum of Northern Arizona. A traditional meal in the home of a Hopi family rounds out our trip.

Scholar E. Charles Adams for Hopi Kachinas: History and Artistry

Trip Scholar: Dr. E. Charles Adams

Dr. E. Charles Adams, curator of archaeology and director of the Homol'ovi Research Program at the Arizona State Museum of the University of Arizona, has conducted extensive research on ancient and historic Hopi villages. Dr. Adams has directed excavations at Homol'ovi, an enormous complex of archaeological sites in Arizona, since 1985.

Educational Focus

The history of Hopi kachina imagery as represented in ancient rock art, pottery, and kiva murals

Hopi culture as seen from the perspectives of both archaeologists and Hopi traditional knowledge specialists

The development of Hopi kachina dolls through time

Trip Dates and Cost

Dates: Tuesday, June 16–Monday, June 22, 2009

Tuition: Donor* $2,395; Nondonor: $2,520

Deposit: $400

Balance due: April 15, 2009

Daily Trip Itinerary

Tuesday, June 16: Phoenix

Arrive in Phoenix by 4 p.m. and transfer to our hotel in time for a cocktail reception, introductory dinner, and program overview. Overnight in Phoenix. (D)

Wednesday, June 17: Heard Museum • Flagstaff

At the famous Heard Museum in Phoenix, we examine the Hopi exhibits, including the Barry Goldwater kachina doll collection. We meet with Bruce McGee, manager of the museum gift store and member of the McGee family from Keams Canyon Trading Post, east of the Hopi mesas. We drive up the Mogollon Rim to the cooler climate of Flagstaff to meet with Dr. Kelley Hays-Gilpin, professor of anthropology at Northern Arizona University, for a discussion on kachina images on ancient pottery. Overnight Flagstaff. (B, L, D)

Thursday, June 18: Museum of Northern Arizona • Homol'ovi • Winslow

Hopi painter and silversmith Michael Kabotie guides us through the collections at the Museum of Northern Arizona and shows us his famous mural inspired by historical murals at the Hopi site of Awatovi. We continue east to the archaeological site of Homol'ovi, now a state park. Homol'ovi was the site of seven villages where people farmed cotton along the Little Colorado River. We stay at the recently restored La Posada in Winslow, the last of the great Fred Harvey hotels designed by Mary Colter and built by the Santa Fe Railroad. Overnight Winslow. (L, D)

Friday, June 19–Saturday, June 20: Hopi Mesas

We travel across the Hopi mesas, visiting artists and carvers in their homes and galleries. We meet with basket weavers and potters and learn about the different types of kachinas represented by the carved dolls. Permission pending, we visit ancient and historic archaeological sites and attend kachina dances to witness dancers in the village plaza. One evening, we are guests of a Hopi family for a traditional meal. We spend two nights at the Hopi Cultural Center. (B, L, D)

Sunday, June 21: Hopi Mesas • Phoenix

We continue visiting artists and galleries on the Hopi mesas before a late-afternoon departure to Phoenix. Overnight Phoenix. (L)

Monday, June 22: Departures from Phoenix

Departures can be scheduled anytime after breakfast. (B)

B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner

Tour Details

General Itinerary: Begins and ends in Phoenix, Arizona. Travels to Flagstaff, Winslow, and the Hopi mesas in Arizona. Plan to arrive in Phoenix by 4 p.m., June 16. Schedule departure from Phoenix anytime after breakfast on June 22.

Tuition: Tuition is per person and is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, entry fees and permits, most gratuities, and transportation from arrival in Phoenix on June 16, 2009, until departure from Phoenix on June 22, 2009. Transportation to and from Phoenix is your responsibility.

Accommodations: All nights are spent in comfortable motels or hotels. Accommodations are based on double occupancy. Single accommodations are available for an additional fee of $350.

What to Expect: Throughout the week, we visit Hopi artists in their homes and learn from traditional knowledge specialists. We also explore several archaeological sites which require walking a mile or less, sometimes over uneven terrain, and periods of standing.

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's programs and admission practices are open to applicants of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California
CST 2059347-50