Hopi friends had invited me to attend the
    Hopi Basket Dance Ceremony in Old (lower)
    Moenkopi on Saturday, November 8th, 1997

    I had no idea what sort of event I was being 
    invited to attend, and I did not ask many 
    questions as I hoped not to appear too 
    intrusive about the Hopi ceremonies.  I 
    thought it might be best to research the 
    topic further through the Internet and the 
    public library, and then ask questions at 
    another time.  I also felt I would be at Hopi 
    again and again, and could always ask more 
    informed questions later when I had done a 
    little research.  My research thus far has 
    not yielded anything about the Hopi Basket 
    Dances, but I can tell you what I witnessed 
    while there last weekend.

    If you have ever been to a Hopi ceremonial 
    event, you know the public portions of an 
    event typically takes place in the village 
    square.  People come from all the neighboring 
    Hopi villages, and at this dance there must 
    have been a thousand people or more.  The 
    Hopis were packed into the square and they 
    lined every rooftop.  It appeared to me that 
    I was the only 'Bahanna' present.

    For most of the afternoon, about 25 Hopi 
    ladies covered with red robes with a black 
    and white border were in a circle.  Each held 
    a finely woven basket with both hands and 
    they all moved in a uniform dance motion back 
    and forth.  In the center of the circle were 
    many more baskets, gifts, foods, and 
    housewares all piled up and ready to be 
    distributed freely among all the people 
    attending.  With their songs, the ladies 
    appeared to be praying and giving thanks over 
    these gifts.  I believe, given the time of 
    year, all this must have represented a sort 
    of thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest.

    The ladies who composed the circle were not 
    made up in all too extravagant attire, 
    although their robes did appear to be 
    ceremonial in fashion.  Along with this 
    circle of ladies were two other females who 
    were also part of this ceremonial dance.  
    These two would run all through the crowd, 
    weaving in and out of the dance circle, 
    picking up the gifts, and as they ran through 
    the crowds they would throw the gifts high up 
    into the air before returning to the circle 
    to get more.

    The crowds swarmed around the dance circle 
    but never entered it.  Only these two ladies 
    who ran about through the crowds would enter 
    it to distribute the gifts.  They were 
    dresses very differently than the other 
    ladies.  Their faces were painted yellow and 
    they appeared to be wearing ceremonial head 
    dresses.  From an outsiders point of view, 
    these two might have appeared extremely 
    bizzare.

    Whenever they ran through the crowds, they 
    would throw gifts high into the air, and 
    people would scramble all around, hoping to 
    catch something.  Many of these gifts were 
    the traditional and very expensive finely 
    woven Hopi baskets that many outsiders 
    cherish.  This throwing out of gifts went on 
    all afternoon.  People came and went, eating, 
    drinking, and having a happy time - just as 
    you would see one very big happy family 
    celebrating together on our Thanksgiving or 
    Christmas Day.  It was indeed a special day 
    in Moenkopi.

    My Hopi hosts and I were dinner guests at a 
    home which was located right on the square.  
    All we had to do to see the afternoon 
    ceremonies was to go out to the porch and 
    look.  When I looked up above myself to the 
    roof rafters of the porch, I could see that 
    someday the crowds might break through from 
    all the weight.  I wonder how many times 
    roofs had collapsed during similar ceremonies 
    over the past centuries.  I cautiously 
    positioned myself under a strong support 
    post.

    I learned that the main event would happen 
    after dinner.  After the last dance in the 
    square the crowds began to shift toward the 
    grand Kiva on the south side of the village.  
    When we arrived at the Kiva I saw that on top 
    of this sacred meeting place were boxes and 
    boxes of gifts stacked very high.  The crowd 
    positioned themselves, circling the Kiva.  
    The gifts were piled high and everyone waited 
    in anticipation.  We stood on a cliff 
    overlooking the ancient planting fields of 
    Moenkopi.  I watched the shadows play on the 
    golden terrain as the sun moved low in the 
    horizon.

    After a while, the ladies who were the 
    participants of the dance circle, slowly 
    traveled in a single file and decended into 
    the Kiva.  I understand that while there they 
    were offering prayers and thanksgiving in 
    some sort of ancient ceremonial ritual.

    After another while, they climbed out from 
    the top of the Kiva and positioned themselves 
    among the stacks of gifts.  They stood high 
    above us.  All this happened just before 
    sunset and the golden autumn scenery in the 
    planting fields below was magnificent.  
    Non-stop, for about two hours and into the 
    darkness, all of the ladies threw housewares, 
    baskets, gifts, and food out into the crowds.  
    The crowds of course cheered as they grabbed 
    and scrambled to catch the gifts.

    As a non-Hopi and first time participant, one
    could only stand and watch in awe and
    amazement.