Return of the Ancestors and the Hopi Drama

Is this Burning Man?

Winds of up to 70 mph kicked up the Navajo red sand, shading and shaping the Return of the Ancestors gathering into something akin to the annual Burning Man fest in Nevada, except that none of us were equipped with goggles, etc. As we drove from the Grand Canyon to Tuba City (home of Native public radio station KGHR with the most awesome playlists, ever), the sand swirled across the highway and quickly created dunes next to anything vertical, fence posts, road signs, big rocks or your legs. These winds didn’t let up, but did not dampen our spirits.

After finding the Tuba City venue, the sacred site of “The Forgotten People” we were informed that the Natives regard the winds as a positive force because they bring rain and clear away the garbage, literally and figuratively.

If you read the previous post, you’ll note my mention of events in the Gathering program not happening as planned. Most of us stayed in the flow as there was plenty of other stuff to do, but when I learned that the visit to Hopi was at risk I realized I needed to reconsider my options. The Elders were spending increasing amounts of time in council as they sorted through the drama of the Hopi not allowing the gathering to take place on Hopi land, time that they were ostensibly to spend with the pilgrims.

The Hopi Drama
The prophetic meeting of the Maya with the Hopi was, for many, the main attraction and the key reason why they travelled so far and spent so much money to attend the gathering. Rumors about how and why this was not happening flew like wildfire and caused significant distraction away from the purpose of the gathering. Whether it was finger pointing, disappointment, anger or ambivalence, all of these reactions probably sent the Ancestors running. After all, who would want to return and hang around for this sort of egotistic nonsense?
(Just kidding. I spoke to several people that had connected to ancestors for the first time ever, so that’s a good sign that the intention did make it through.)

As it turned out, the Hopi did not host the gathering as the Institute for Cultural Awareness advertised. The list of reasons for this non-event is much more complicated than worthy of further discussion. Suffice it to say that we have these gatherings for a reason: they shine the light on what needs purification and healing.

Instead, the Navajo hosted for two days as the winds blew dust that caused the Elders and pilgrims to grit their teeth. Some of us went to Hopi anyway.

Prophecy Rock
The wind was blowing wildly up at Hopi as well, but the sand is a different color, beige. Several of us hooked up at the Hopi cultural center and went on a tour with Marlinda, a delightful Tewa woman of the Corn Clan, mother and grandmother who was quick to tell us how matriarchal their culture is. She has lived her whole life in the Tewa section of Second Mesa, which towers above the desert below and feels like the rooftop of the world. Our first stop was Prophecy Rock, which she explained to us as follows:

The human figure at the bottom is Maza, the original Hopi who created this prophecy and provided the values for living a good life that the Hopi live by today. The Hopi way is to live simply and on the land. Survival, religion and culture all intermingle.

The two parallel lines show the two different paths humans can take. The upper line is the materialistic path, which is eventually demised, and the lower line is the spiritual. On the rock you can see four circles on the lower line, which represent the four world ages, the last of which we are living in now. The prophecy is clear, etched in stone.
No photography is allowed anywhere at Hopi. They believe that photographing disperses the sacred energy of the object and I honored that, but obviously someone on the internet did not.

About 20 feet away is a glyph on another stone that looks like a machine or space ship. We were thinking it was a location marker for an ET pick-up when the end of the fourth age occurs. So, be aware, when the time comes, come hither for ascension! The challenge is that Westerners can’t get to this glyph without a guide.

Hopi Petroglyphs
Marlinda took us to an expansive walls of glyphs that stretched the length for at least two city blocks. These rocks were loaded with clear, deeply carved glyphs, many of which you’ve probably seen in Hopi silver jewelry and other objects of art. People were saying that this collection of glyphs was bigger and more detailed than anything seen at other Hopi sites such as Canyon de Chelly or Chaco Canyon. Watch this youtube video of the Hopi petroglyphs for an excellent detailed view of the glyphs. For a detailed analysis, see The Book of the Hopi by Frank Waters.