Audio
Full Steam Ahead: Stop 3 Hopi House
Transcript
Increased visitation lead to more opportunities for souvenirs along the South Rim of Grand Canyon. The Verkamp family used this opportunity to reopen their storefront. Built immediately next to the Verkamp’s Curio Shop, is the Hopi House. Before you continue listening, take a moment to compare these two buildings. How are they the same? How are they be different? What kind of intentions do you think went into the design of Hopi House? Pause the audio tour and consider these questions.
The Hopi House, which opened in 1905, pays tribute to the Hopi people and their ancestors that have inhabited the Grand Canyon for centuries. Architect Mary Colter created an indigenous art gallery for the Fred Harvey Company that housed a museum and salesroom for Native American Arts. This is the first of many buildings that Mary Colter designed here in the park. She was inspired by the natural beauty of Grand Canyon and the people that lived there. The Hopi House is modeled after a one-thousand year Hopi dwelling. As you walk around Hopi House, you’ll see local Hopi influences that Mary Colter incorporated amongst red sandstone and juniper log materials. This building has a feeling that it has been here for thousands of years, not just over 100. That is what Mary Colter envisioned: a building that respected the past and appeared to belong here on the canyon rim.
Once constructed, most workers at the Hopi house were in fact Hopi people. The top level of this building actually served as a residence for some of those workers. The idea of the Hopi house was for it to feel less like a gift shop and more like and actual home. Hopi craftsmen and women worked on the items they would ultimately sell in front of visitors, which provided a meaningful experience. By establishing a building like the Hopi house, it was a way that Colter could introduce the public to the art and rich cultural traditions of Native people.
Over 100 years later, visitors can still visit this National Historic Landmark and discover a large selection of Native American art made by many of the traditionally associated tribes with Grand Canyon, but not limited to the Hopi people. Today, we may not see Hopi people inside the Hopi House practicing their craft, but the legacy continues within the park at Desert View, where the park has developed a robust cultural demonstration program, allowing members of all traditionally associated tribes to share their work with the public. Take a step inside the Hopi house and imagine it how Mary Colter intended it, Hopi people practicing their craft and exposing visitors to a new and valuable perspective. [native flute music]
Description
The Hopi House, which opened in 1905, pays tribute to the Hopi people and their ancestors that have inhabited the Grand Canyon for centuries. Architect Mary Colter created an indigenous art gallery for the Fred Harvey Company that housed a museum and salesroom for Native American Arts.
Credit
Grand Canyon National Park
Date Created
09/09/2021
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