Hopi: No seperating church, state
Traditional leaders caution against challenging sovereignty

By Kathy Helms
Staff Writer

FIRST MESA, Ariz. — Since “time immemorial,” the Hopi traditional government has withstood challenges by outsiders who have had the audacity to question the validity of the traditional leadership.

Trusting that “right will prevail,” the Hopi people do not panic when outside agitators attempt to overthrow the traditional government, which knows no separation of church and state. Instead, they join together, speaking in one voice to defend the traditional leadership and quell the turmoil predicted in Hopi prophecy.

The authority of the traditional government rests with the Kikmongwi, the village chief, and his subordinates — the Soyal Mongwi, Quan Mongwi and Katsin Mongwi. Their power to govern is recognized not only by the Hopi Constitution but by the federal government.

The Kikmongwi carries the responsibility of all mankind on his shoulders and has the sacred duty to uphold the teachings that have been passed down to him through generations of religious leaders.

In 1936, with the adoption of the Hopi Constitution, the villages of Walpi, Sichomovi and Tewa were united under one umbrella, known as First Mesa Consolidated Villages. At that time it was agreed that the Kikmongwi of Walpi would be the leader of the consolidated villages, making decisions for the good of the Hopi people — and so it remains today.

It is not the Hopi way for the religious leaders to be approached directly. They all have spokesmen whose duties are to keep them from controversy. “They walk like on the edge of a knife,” the spokesmen say, and it is the obligation of the spokesmen to keep the minds of the religious leaders clear, “because their minds are full of goodness.”

But due to the political unrest some believe is now threatening the Hopi way of life, for the first time in approximately 20 years, First Mesa religious leaders are speaking out to educate their people on the sovereignty of the traditional government and to warn of the consequences that come from interfering with that sovereignty.

Last week, First Mesa Soyal Mongwi Leo Lacapa Jr., and his spokesman Larry Polingyumptewa; Katsin Mongwi Wayne Peesha and his spokesman Wallace Youvella, met with the Independent to support Kikmongwi James Monroe Tewayguna of Walpi and his spokesman

Lawrence Namoki as the Kikmongwi explained how he was given the authority to carry the Kikmongwi Tiponi, or sacred bundle.

Spokesmen for the religious leaders said, “There have always been attempts to overthrow our traditional form of government, sadly by our own people, and most of it is driven by politics and the greed for money.”

“But there have been court proceedings upholding the traditional leaders. The only basis of us calling ourselves Native Americans — in this case, Hopi — is our religious footing. Without it, we’re mainstream society,” they said.

The traditional leaders govern by consensus. Seldom is a concern placed before the Kikmongwi. By the time an issue reaches him, a decision by consensus of the clan leaders, such as Lecapa for the Corn Water Clan and Peesha for the Katsina (Kachina) Clan, already has been made and the Kikmongwi sanctions that decision.

They all collaborate and function together in their ceremonies, absent input from the Quan Mongwi, whose role disappeared with the passing of the late Alfred Kaye. Anytime there are questions as to the Kikmongwi’s authority, the Soyal Mongwi and Katsin Mongwi are there to defend and stand behind him.

“If the Kikmongwi jumps off a cliff, we have to go with him,” Lacapa said. It is part of the responsibility they accept when they assume their traditional leadership roles.
Kikmongwi Tewayguna, who was named for U.S.

President James Monroe and is a member of the Flute Clan, according to Namoki, spoke of the many years he spent listening to his predecessors.

“A long time ago, our uncle, Ned Nayatewa — he was Kikmongwi at the time — had been talking to me, and not just to me, our family, about our role, our responsibilities, which was for us to look out for the welfare of people and not to be hurting anyone, and not to be involved in any controversy.

“He would come and talk to us, that we must continue to look for good things for our people, the prosperous life.” During much of the discussions, they were reminded that the Flute Clan has the responsibility to hold the position of Kikmongwi.

“We are entrusted. We are not using any other clan or anybody’s authority or instruction. This is our very own of what we’re supposed to do,” Tewayguna said.

The Flute Clan leadership also included another uncle, Ebin Leslie, who later became Kikmongwi. “When Ebin was being considered, he would come to our house to see my mother,” Leslie’s sister, Tewayguna said.

Leslie would ask his sister, “What should I do? I’m being asked to carry this role of Kikmongwi.” And Tewayguna’s mother, at the time told him, “You wait. You get angry right away. You must do something about the anger before you go because you cannot function in anger for the good of the people.”

As he listened to the conversations, Tewayguna never considered that someday he would be asked to carry the Kikmongwi Tiponi.

“The role of Kikmongwi is to look for the good things of the people and to do things, but there is always opposition — someone going against the good things they’re trying to do. How can we overcome that in a way that we do things for people to better their lives?” he once heard Leslie ask.

Tewayguna said there is already written record that should be recognized regarding the role of the Kikmongwi. “We know what our responsibilities are,” he said, though everyone may not always agree with them.

“But the people should know who we are. In fact, people belonging to a clan should know how they came here and under what conditions they were accepted into the village, and what they agreed to recognize and what terms they agreed to leave under,” he said.

“Because it’s already predetermined that we also have the authority to make decisions against people who may rebel or attempt to go against the Hopi way of life, and in this case, against the Kikmongwi’s position. We know what we are instructed to do, and we don’t want to do that.”

He said it was predicted that at some point, difficulties were going to happen where they may have to exercise their authority and their instructions. Spokesmen for the religious leaders said persons interfering with the traditional government and its sovereign power are subject to being expelled from the Hopi Reservation.

During Harlan Nakala’s reign as Kikmongwi, he also discussed in Tewayguna’s presence his experiences as a leader. He explained the same instructions others had given regarding being a Kikmongwi and making rightful decisions for the people, and also talked about the difficulty of dealing with controversial issues.

“I was with him and I felt for him, what he was going through and experiencing, and tried to give him moral support,” Tewayguna said. He also participated with him and helped him in the primary role of the Flute Clan.

Nakala later was inflicted with health problems. He went to Tewayguna and told him, “I’m looking at you and thinking about passing the reign of the Kikmongwi to you.”
Tewayguna said, “I was honored by that, but I already recognized what that responsibility entails.” It was after the Flute Ceremony when Nakala told him what he was planning to do. “I then accepted, but I said, ‘I need to talk to my people, my clan and my immediate clan members.’ ”
Later, a meeting was called during which Tewayguna also asked members of the clan of his father, Leo Howato and Felix Harvey, to be present to witness the discussions. In their presence, he confided to his clan members of the Kikmongwi responsibility to be passed to him and what that would entail.

He asked his immediate clan, “If I do, are you willing to help me? Will you support me?” And they assured him that they would stand behind him.

“Now it came to the point that it was to be passed on to me during our Flute Ceremony, the Kikmongwi Tiponi of the Flute Clan. During that ceremony we go to a particular spring east of the village. That’s to signify how the clan came to Walpi,” Tewayguna said.

“During that ceremony, Mr. Lacapa was present there to witness that. At that time, the then-Kikmongwi gave me the Tiponi to carry, and I carried that Tiponi into the village, signifying that now I’m carrying that, it has passed on,” he said.

“That winter, about this time of the year when Leo’s ceremony, the Soyal Ceremony — the Prayer Feather Ceremony — is held, at the appropriate time I took my place in the kiva during the seating of the leaders. I took my rightful seat. My uncle, who was the outgoing

Kikmongwi Harlan Nakala, then again gave me the Tiponi and sat me where he was sitting. I took his place,” he said.

In front of the other religious leaders, including Lacapa as Soyal Mongwi, Peesha as Katsin Mongwi, and the late Alfred Kaye as the Quan Mongwi, Tewayguna was acknowledged as Kikmongwi. “The leaders then spoke to me, encouraging me, supporting me,” he said. “That is how Tiponi, the leadership role, is passed on.”