Interns here. We're just back from our first experience on the Hopi Reservation on Monday. During this visit, we hung posters for our upcoming collection trip on Friday the 25th. Our journey started Monday morning at 9 and we geared up for the trip, expecting a long day of travel and meeting people. Anne acted as tour guide as we traveled through beautiful scenery and geological features of the land. Throughout the day she also introduced us to many artists and art dealers.
We learned that each of the 3 mesas has a different artistic specialty. Though we only saw the first 2 mesas, we are excited for the end of the month where we'll see them all.
Our first stop was the Cultural Center, a bright orange building on 2nd mesa. After dropping off some flyers and talking to some people in the shops, we stopped by the restaurant for a "quick" lunch of hopi tacos. Randi and Phoebe demolished the gigantic tacos with no problem. I had one with beef and mashed potatoes which was equally amazing. Anne seemed to know everyone in the restaurant and chatted with several old friends.
Amazingly, we managed to stay awake during the rest of the trip after the big lunch. The scenery was too amazing to sleep through. We made it to the tops of the mesa where many of the artists live. Some tourists were there on the guided tours that are available. These are a good idea for learning some of the interesting history of the mesas and aspects of the culture.
Helping fill us in on some of the Hopi culture was Joseph Day, owner of Tsakurshovi, a traditional shop with Hopi art and goods. He explained how his store specializes in items bought by local people for their daily life and art. His wife's motto is "Don't worry, be Hopi." You might have seen these shirts somewhere across the globe in the last 30 years.
The trip home took longer than expected with lots of construction on Hwy 264, so be warned if you go up to the reservation this week! This allowed us to reflect on our trip and think about the exciting Hopi festival that is quickly approaching.
Til next time,
Grant, Phoebe, and Randi (the interns)
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