Hopi Tribe Culture

Tradition is defined as a set of customs and beliefs that are largely stable through time, the passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication. It is through tradition that the Hopi Indians of Northeast Arizona and the Mande people of West Africa have been able to survive as distinct cultures in this rapidly changing world. The art of oral tradition, or historical storytelling, has been the main resource for the continuous education of children in these cultures, and will continue to play a vital role in the progression of their civilizations. The arts, cosmogony, music, and agricultural influences of these cultures are related in many different ways, and all contribute to their distinguishing …show more content…
The griot is a traditional storyteller and musician in African societies who recounts genealogy at ceremonies such as marriages, circumcisions and funerals, through the use of a Kora. A Kora is a twenty-one stringed West African harp which requires great skill to master, and is used by the griots of West Africa to accompany their …show more content…
The Hopi Kachina mask is worn by men during ceremonies and is thought to temporarily transform the performer into the depicted being on the mask. The identity of the spirit is depicted not by the form of the mask, which is usually plain and flat, but by the color, leather, feathers, and ornamentation of the mask. Kachina s are also found in small ornamented wood dolls. The dolls are not used in ceremonies but are used both as play toys for the children and as devices of spiritual education. In the Mande culture however the masks are worn over the head of a female elder who dances for the Sande women s society. The Sande women s society is a secret society composed of all the women members of the Mande people. They instruct girls in their responsibilities, and protect the rights of women in the community. The Sande mask displays and celebrates Mande ideals of female beauty and virtue. The downcast eyes convey a spiritual nature, the high forehead indicates good fortune, and the elaborate hairstyle communicate the close ties of the women in the community. Although most masks in African cultures and in Native American tribes are worn by men, the Sande Society mask is a rare exception since it is worn by all women s society to which men are not