Recording Toponyms to Document the Endangered Hopi Language

Abstract

The toponyms of Hopitutskwa ("Hopi land") explicate Hopi history and culture. Place-names mark sacred locations, landforms associated with deities and historical events, springs, trails, and "footprints" of ancestral villages, petroglyphs, and other archaeological sites. The National Science Foundation funded a collaborative project to document the Hopi language by recording toponyms and associated narratives. Interviews with 15 Hopi individuals produced linguistic and ethnocartographic records of 282 place-names. Audio and video recordings preserve the vocalization of place-names pronounced in Hopi as well as their use in a larger Hopi language contextualization. The variety and distribution of toponyms discussed during interviews demonstrates how Hopis remember, interact with, and honor their land. [Hopi, Hopitutskwa, Hopi language, landscape, toponyms] RESUMEN El topónimo de Hopitutskwa ("tierra de los hopi") explica la historia y cultura de los hopi. Los nombres de lugares marcan localizaciones sagradas, accidentes geográficos asociados con deidades y eventos históricos, manantiales, sendas, y "huellas" de pueblos ancestrales, petroglifos, y otros sitios arqueológicos. La Fundación Nacional de Ciencias financió un proyecto colaborativo para documentar el idioma hopi por medio de la grabación de topónimos y narrativas asociadas. Entrevistas con 15 individuos hopi produjeron registros lingüísticos y etnográficos de 282 nombres de lugares. Audio-video grabaciones preservan la vocalización de los nombres de los lugares pronunciados en hopi así como su uso en una contextualización más amplia del idioma hopi. La variedad y distribución de topónimos discutidos en las entrevistas demuestran como los hopis recuerdan, interactúan con, y honran su tierra. [Hopi, Hopitutskwa, idioma hopi, paisaje, topónimos]

Co-Creation of Knowledge by the Hopi Tribe and Archaeologists

“…Springs and shrines have traditional importance because of their role in cultural practices. Landforms, along with their toponyms, embody cultural history and didactic meaning (Hedquist et al 2014). Plant collection areas are critical in maintaining craft production like basketry and katsina doll carving.…”

The Archaeology of Place in Ebtún, Yucatán, Mexico

“…The area described by second Mesa leaders, however, has come to be viewed as the extent of Hopitutskwa by many non-Hopis. Meanwhile, Hopi traditionalists maintain that the homvìikya encircles the contemporary core, or "plaza, " of the Hopi homeland, while the greater domain of Hopi stewardship extends outward to encompass a much larger area-one that includes all of Hopis' ancestral lands (Hedquist et al 2014;Jenkins et al 1994:8;Kuwanwisiwma and ferguson 2009:92). The area and associated pilgrimage are significant because they demonstrate the ongoing role of the land and its features in contemporary Hopi life (eggan 1994:15).…”

On the Disassembly Line: Linguistic Anthropology in 2014

“…There is continuing concern in linguistic anthropology with language death, endangerment, and revitalization and with preserving linguistic diversity. Documentary linguistics retains a strong presence as part and parcel of anthropological work; in 2014, documentary linguistic projects continued in the Recovering Languages and Literacies of the Americas initiative (Mihas et al 2014) and in the National Science Foundation's Documenting Endangered Languages program (Hedquist et al ), as well as in articles documenting and analyzing stories and other material from endangered or dead languages (e.g., Dixon ). A new edited volume, Endangered Languages and New Technologies (Jones ), uses case studies to detail techniques for archiving linguistic materials, developing useful keyboard layouts, curating digital collections, and so on in accessible writing that targets community language revitalizers as well as scholars.…”