Response to the Sundance Incident In the name of Traditional Hopi Elders

Message from the Traditional Hopi Elders: Asquali, In the name of the Traditional Hopi Elders that have gone before -Thank you for hearing me.

Dear friends and relations,

After reading the report on the “Sun Dance” and the Hopi Tribal Council I feel again the need to clarify the Hopi Tribal Council is an Government Organization and DOSE NOT represent The Traditional HOPI and Spiritual Leaders of Hopiland.

Sometimes these restrictions occur due to a (inner) struggle of the Hopi council peoples who honor more modern religions. They have difficulty reconciling our ancient ways with new beliefs and want to change these ways to fit that foreign structure or dismiss them all together. Or they do not want to have witness to what they are doing to the land and their own people.

This is creating much division at Hopiland and many hardships on all the peoples. Also making us look bad in the eyes of the world and this is not the right way to act. According to all I have learned from the Elders. Our Very Own Hopi Spiritual Leaders and Traditional Peoples are under the same restrictions with Permits that are either impossible to obtain or denied on purpose. Permits for picking herbs for medicine, Gathering wood or rabbit hunting for certain Kachina ceremonies all now require a permit at a price often out of reach for our traditional peoples.

Our planting and harvest journeys are denied to help our elders. As wisdom keepers we have the understandings not to be charging for what the Mother Earth freely gives for her children’s happiness and well being.

I know if my Grandfathers were still alive they would submit a statement so I will do it for them at this time and my prayer is that you will accept that under NO circumstances are prayers ever discouraged by A Traditional Hopi, they honor all peoples and have a welcoming heart to everyone. The very name Hopi means kindness, gentleness, and truthfulness. The Hopi have been instructed by Massau to Receive everyone kindly and bring them happiness and good thoughts. This is what all our ceremonies are about and soft genteel rain so the peoples of the world will be happy and live fruitfully. It is my understanding that the prayers are similar for the “Sun Dance” so the peoples will live in commitment to “Creator” by whatever name.

These divisions must stop between us. We must be brothers and sisters all religions say the same thing if you really read what is said in those “Black and Blue Books” and scriptures. The time is late and the idea here is Pray doesn’t cause trouble for other seekers. Put away your guns and angry words and pray.

Our words are not to make a difficult situation worse but many peoples on these lists do not know the difference of what is happening and why, between all the layers. But for the record again it is not the traditional Hopi Spiritual Leaders or Elders doing this to the “Dineh or the Sun Dance”.

In service to the Holy Ancestors,
Asquali, dep see mana – Hotevilla Traditional Village
Greasewood, Roadrunner, Spider and Fire Clan
Daughter to Nelson Mononge, Granddaughter to
Dan Evehema and Grandfather Martin