ONGTUPKA

Hopi Sacred Geography of the Grand Canyon

Prepared by Leigh Jenkins
Hopi Cultural Preservation Office
and
T. J. Ferguson
Institute of the NorthAmerican West
For a Symposium on Sacred Geography of the Grand Canyon
Annual Meeting of the Western History Association
Albuquerque, New Mexico
October 22, 1994
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The Place of Beginning

The Hopi people emerged into this, the Fourth World, by climbing up a reed which
pierced the sky of the underworld at the Sipapuni. The Sipapuni is not a legendary place.
It actually exists in the Little Colorado River Gorge near the confluence of the Little
Colorado and Colorado Rivers in the Grand Canyon. After the Hopis emerged they
encountered Ma'asaw, the deity who owns the Fourth World. The Hopis entered into a
sacred pact with Ma'asaw in which it was agreed that the Hopis would serve as earth
stewards. To demonstrate their faithfulness in fulfilling this pact, Ma'asaw instructed the
Hopis to travel to the distant corners of the land in search of their destiny at the center of
the universe on the Hopi Mesas. On this journey the Hopis were told to leave their
"footprints" as evidence they are fulfilling the pact. These footprints take the form of
ancestral ruins, petroglyphs, potsherds, stone tools, and other artifacts.
Clan Migrations
Each Hopi clan received a wuuya or totemic symbol after they emerged from the
Sipapuni.

After the Hopi people emerged at Sipapuni, some left on their migrations

immediately, while other clans traveled extensively through the Grand Canyon. The clans

Ongtupka, Sacred Hopi Geography of the Grand Canyon

in the Grand Canyon left their mark in the form of petroglyphs that can still be seen today.
These clans include the Antelope, Badger, Bear, Bearstrap, Bow, Fire, Flute,
Greasewood, Katsina, Lizard, Parrot, Rattlesnake, Reed, Sand, Spider, Sun, Tobacco,
Turkey, Water, and Water Spider Clans.
Salt Woman
The Hopi people call the Grand Canyon Ongtupka, "Salt Canyon" since an
important source of salt is located near the confluence of the Colorado and Little
Colorado Rivers. The non-Indians call this the Hopi Salt Mine. At Hopi this salt is
personified as Salt Woman. When Salt Woman took her place in the Grand Canyon, a
series of shrines were established along the trail from the Hopi Mesas to Ongtupka and the
Hopis were instructed on the prayers and offerings that need to be made at these places
when they visit the canyon to partake of her. This Salt Trail continues to provide a
physical link between the Hopi Villages and the Grand Canyon.
Maski
As the Grand Canyon is the place of beginning, so too is it the ending place. The
spirits of the Hopi's ancestors return to and inhabit the Grand Canyon.

The deity

Ma'asaw also resides in the Grand Canyon and his awesome presence can be felt there.
The geography of the Grand Canyon is consequently imbued with an extremely powerful
spiritual character. Ongtupka is not a place where Hopis go casually. One must be
spiritually, emotionally, and mentally prepared for the hardships and tests that are faced
when visiting such a powerful and potentially dangerous area.
Prayers and Shrines
Many prayers and offerings are made at villages on the Hopi Mesas and spiritually
sent to the Grand Canyon. Out of the Grand Canyon come the ancestors in the form of
the life-giving rain needed for Hopi crops. Shrines on the rim of the Grand Canyon are
visited in a pilgrimage that pays homage to Tutsqua, the sacred land of the Hopis.

Ongtupka, Sacred Hopi Geography of the Grand Canyon

Resource Procurement from the Grand Canyon

Many resources important in Hopi culture are located in the Grand Canyon,
including red and yellow pigment, salt, and plants of many kinds. The collection of these
resources entails reciprocity in that something is left for everything that is taken. Prayers
and offerings associated with the collection of natural resources maintain the spiritual
balance and harmony of the canyon.
The Need for Hopi Participation in Monitoring and Management
For the Hopi people, the spiritual essence of the Grand Canyon is as awesome as the
physical form of the beautiful and deeply stratified rocks that form the canyon walls. The
Grand Canyon is alive with spiritual meaning and Hopi ancestors. The religious shrines at
the place of beginning and elsewhere along the pilgrimage trail, the sacred springs, the
presence of Hopi ancestors, and the abodes of many Hopi deities provide a vital cultural
connection between the Hopi people and the Grand Canyon.
The Hopis still maintain their sacred pact with Ma'asaw to serve as stewards of this
land. The Hopis are therefore concerned about the continuing existence of endangered
species, the protection of their ancestor's graves, and many other aspects of land
management.

The Hopis think a long-term perspective is needed in environmental

monitoring, and, since the Hopis have been there since the beginning, they are committed
to participating in an adaptive management program to protect the Grand Canyon. The
Hopis are obligated to do this out of respect for their ancestors and their pact with
Ma'asaw.