Footprints of the Ancestors: Intergenerational Learning of Hopi History and Culture

FAIN: QI-50019-06

Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ 86011-0001)
George John Gumerman (Project Director: February 2006 to June 2010)

Implementation of programs for Hopi youth, coordinated by Hopi tribal elders, cultural specialists, and scholars at historic and prehistoric sites, designed to teach them about the cultures and history of the Four Corners region and to explore questions regarding preservation and heritage.

We propose an interdisciplinary and intergenerational project that focuses on Hopi Indian history and culture. The project will bring together Hopi youth and our established team of Hopi tribal elders, Hopi cultural specialists, and professional humanities scholars such as anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians in an interactive, experiential, and collaborative endeavor to deepen Hopi and non-Hopi public understanding of significant humanities questions. To accomplish our goals, youth, elders, and scholars will participate in learning activities at a variety of venues across the American Southwest. The venues, including the San Juan River, Mesa Verde National Park, Navajo National Monument, Homolovi State Park, Wupatki National Monument, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the National Museum of the American Indian, feature considerable cultural and historical resources that are significant to our nation's history.