ORAYVI/SONGOOPAVI 1150-2011
The pueblo village of Oraibi, located at 6000 feet on Third Mesa in the Hopi Reservation in Arizona, is considered the oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in the United States. Known as Orayvi by the Hopi people, it was founded sometime around 1150 AD and became the most influential of the Hopi settlements. The Hopi first encountered Europeans in 1540 under Coronado; by 1598 Juan de Mate, Governor of New Mexico, made the Hopi and all other pueblo peoples swear fealty and vassalage to the King of Spain. In 1629 Franciscan missions were established at Oraibi and other Hopi villages, but were destroyed in the general Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that swept the Southwest. Church ruins just outside the village stand testament to Hopi resistance, but in 1906 divisions between tribal conservatives and members more open to Euro-American influence resulted in a bloodless splitting of the village population, with the traditionalists remaining in “Old Oraibi” on the mesa above and the modernists founding “New Oraibi,” or Kykotsmovi Village, a short distance away on the valley floor. Old Oraibi is now estimated to have a few hundred residents, and Kykotsmovi has become the seat of the Tribal Government of the Hopi Nation and has a population of about a thousand people.
Shongopavi -- Songoopavi in Hopi -- is a pueblo village 10 miles to the Southeast at 6330 feet on Second Mesa. Its current location dates to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when a number of Hopi villages relocated to nearby and defensible high mesas in anticipation of a Spanish counterattack that did not materialize. About 800 Hopi live in Shongopavi.
To protect their privacy, in 1913 the Hopi people specifically prohibited photography, sketching, note-taking, anthropological research, and all recording activities on their land without express permission. Those restrictions remain in effect today, and are particularly important during religious ceremonies. The Hopi people comprise an independent Nation that never signed a treaty with the United States of America. These aerial photographs depict no ceremonies, and in an age of Google Earth’s relentless exposure, use visual information that is now, for better or worse, already public. They respectfully endeavor to place two villages of incalculable importance to the North American continent in a geological context, with the best of intentions, and were made legally from U.S. airspace above Hopi land. Permission from the Hopi people was not obtained, however, and as such, all profits from any sales of any of the images herein will be donated to the Hopi Education Endowment Fund based in Kyokotsmovi, Arizona.
Studio-made book of 16 aerial images photographed by Michael Light in August 2011. Printed on Epson Enhanced Matte paper using archival Epson Ultrachrome 3 pigment inks, adhered with archival Gudy 831 double-sided pressure adhesive. Archival stability well exceeds c-print standards. Covers by John DeMerritt Bookbinding, Emeryville, CA. Edition of 10, signed on rear endpaper.
01. Oraibi Wash Looking Southwest from Old Oraibi, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
02. Old Oraibi Looking Northeast, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
03. Old Oraibi Looking Northwest, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
04. Old Oraibi Looking South, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
05. Old Oraibi Looking Southeast, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
06. Old Oraibi Looking West, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
07. Old Oraibi Looking South, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
08. Old Oraibi Looking Southewest, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
09. Corn Running Trail To Top Of Mesa, Old Oraibi, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
10. Shungopavi Looking Southwest, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
11. Shungopavi Looking East, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
12. Shungopavi Looking Northwest, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
13. Shungopavi Looking North, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
14. Shungopavi Looking South, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
15. Shungopavi Looking South, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
16. Shungopavi Looking East, Second Mesa, Hopi Reservation, AZ; 2011
From Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011; artist's book, 35"x44", ed. 10
24" x 30" pigment print, ed. 5
40" x 50" pigment print, ed. 5
ORAYVI/SONGOOPAVI 1150-2011
The pueblo village of Oraibi, located at 6000 feet on Third Mesa in the Hopi Reservation in Arizona, is considered the oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in the United States. Known as Orayvi by the Hopi people, it was founded sometime around 1150 AD and became the most influential of the Hopi settlements. The Hopi first encountered Europeans in 1540 under Coronado; by 1598 Juan de Mate, Governor of New Mexico, made the Hopi and all other pueblo peoples swear fealty and vassalage to the King of Spain. In 1629 Franciscan missions were established at Oraibi and other Hopi villages, but were destroyed in the general Pueblo Revolt of 1680 that swept the Southwest. Church ruins just outside the village stand testament to Hopi resistance, but in 1906 divisions between tribal conservatives and members more open to Euro-American influence resulted in a bloodless splitting of the village population, with the traditionalists remaining in “Old Oraibi” on the mesa above and the modernists founding “New Oraibi,” or Kykotsmovi Village, a short distance away on the valley floor. Old Oraibi is now estimated to have a few hundred residents, and Kykotsmovi has become the seat of the Tribal Government of the Hopi Nation and has a population of about a thousand people.
Shongopavi -- Songoopavi in Hopi -- is a pueblo village 10 miles to the Southeast at 6330 feet on Second Mesa. Its current location dates to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when a number of Hopi villages relocated to nearby and defensible high mesas in anticipation of a Spanish counterattack that did not materialize. About 800 Hopi live in Shongopavi.
To protect their privacy, in 1913 the Hopi people specifically prohibited photography, sketching, note-taking, anthropological research, and all recording activities on their land without express permission. Those restrictions remain in effect today, and are particularly important during religious ceremonies. The Hopi people comprise an independent Nation that never signed a treaty with the United States of America. These aerial photographs depict no ceremonies, and in an age of Google Earth’s relentless exposure, use visual information that is now, for better or worse, already public. They respectfully endeavor to place two villages of incalculable importance to the North American continent in a geological context, with the best of intentions, and were made legally from U.S. airspace above Hopi land. Permission from the Hopi people was not obtained, however, and as such, all profits from any sales of any of the images herein will be donated to the Hopi Education Endowment Fund based in Kyokotsmovi, Arizona.
Studio-made book of 16 aerial images photographed by Michael Light in August 2011. Printed on Epson Enhanced Matte paper using archival Epson Ultrachrome 3 pigment inks, adhered with archival Gudy 831 double-sided pressure adhesive. Archival stability well exceeds c-print standards. Covers by John DeMerritt Bookbinding, Emeryville, CA. Edition of 10, signed on rear endpaper.
Orayvi/Songoopavi 1150-2011