Passing the Tiponi
Kikmongwi tells how he became First Mesa traditional leader

By Kathy Helms
Staff writer

FIRST MESA, Ariz. — In younger years as James Monroe Tewayguna listened to his uncles Ned Nayatewa and Ebin Leslie talk about the Flute Clan’s inherited role, Tewayguna never considered that someday he would be asked to carry the Kikmongwi Tiponi, or sacred bundle, and become the village leader.

“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 — Kikmongwi Tewayguna and his subordinates, Soyal Mongwi Leo Lacapa Jr., and Katsin Mongwi Wayne Peesha — 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 and Peesha, 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.”