This episode showcases two such tales of the Hopi, a Native American tribe of the United States. This tale is one of the many Native American stories that we've covered over the past months. Check out episode 1 for tales of the Achomawi, Atsugewi, and Acoma Pueblo. Episodes 4 and 6 recounts the stories of various Apache and Algonquian-speaking tribes respectively while episode 9 features the Arikara and the Arapaho. You'll find the fascinating stories of the Cherokee, Caddo, and Cheyenne in episode 12, and the creek, crow, and Diegueno in episode 15. Now that plugging previous episodes is out of the way, let's get back to the creation myth of the Hopi.

The Hopi is a sovereign nation, living on several mesas (or flat topped hills) that rise above the surrounding Navajo reservation in northeastern Arizona. Their lands encompass more than 1.5 million acres and are made up of predominantly 12 villages on three mesas.

Their society is perhaps best known to us for their elaborate dance ceremonies. These ceremonies involve mysterious spirit figures known as the kachina. 

First is their tale of the creation of the world, and our origin and place in it. I apologize in advance for any mistakes made while pronouncing some of the names.

This particular tale is highlighted in the following story as was told to the missionary and ethnographer Henrich Voth in 1905. This story not only talks of the origin of the world, animals, and man but also discusses the arrival of the Spaniards. Needless to say, by the time the story had been recorded, the colonial invasion had permeated into the Hopi culture and stories. 

The following myth is recorded in the book titled "The Traditions of the Hopi, Anthropological Series" by Henrich Voth. Please check the description for details about the text. The full reference of the text is as under:

H. R. Voth, The Traditions of the Hopi, Anthropological Series, vol. 8, Chicago: Field Columbian Museum, 1905, 1–16

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The music used for the episodes are either free to use, or under creative commons license. Below are their links and attributions:

Distant Lands

Artist: Hanu Dixit

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Cumulus Nimbus

Artist: Quincas Moreira

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Dama-May - Primal Drive by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Egmont Overture by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Mesmerize by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Court and Page

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Serenity by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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