Via Felicia Fonseca, AP----"...it's here where the staples of traditional food -- corn, squash and beans -- flourish with what little water reaches the usually dry land.
It's a farming technique that has been practiced for centuries as part of a belief that a prosperous life comes through hard work.
Micah Loma'omvaya shares those stories on a tour he leads to the Hopi mesas that rise above the northern Arizona desert, giving visitors a glimpse of Hopi tradition and culture that's rooted in agriculture.
...Ceremonies, songs and cultural activities are tied directly to agriculture with prayers for rain and a fertile harvest. Prayer sticks with feathers hang from stones that support terraced gardens, and Hopi art commonly features rain clouds.
"That's the simplest of pleasures that we forget in our commodity-driven society when we want the latest iPod, vehicle and the best shoes," James Surveyor (the marketing and sales associate at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites on the reservation,) said. "That prayer, that ceremony, that belief is all intertwined with farming because farming is what the people are."
This type of focus on our continent's food heritage delights us, and reminds me to say, "Be Happy, Be Hopi." We'll definitely be signing up for a trip back through Hopi agriculture.
FYI Check Hopi Tours or call 928 206 7433--tours leave from Moenkopi Lecay Inn & Suites, via Experience Hopi.
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