If You Lived With The Hopi Indians

by Anne Kamma, Linda Gardner (Illustrations)

The breadth of issues covered makes this a rich presentation of our country's dramatic beginnings-perfect for sparking interesting classroom discussions.

Genres: Native American, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American History, Picture Books

80 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read five books in this little series and this was by far my favorite. If I was going to live in the olden days with a Native American tribe, I would definitely pick the Hopi. I love so much about their beliefs.

The book discussed how they believed in living the Hopi Way.

The Hopi Way taught that people should try and:

*Have a good heart.
*Be helpful and kind.
*Live in harmony with the world.
*Have good thoughts.

I love everything about that. It's so simple, yet profoundly beautiful.

I've done some traveling in the Southwest so it's very easy for me to picture how and where they lived. I've visited places like Chaco Canyon where you can see beautiful Kivas. I love imagining the people gathering in them to celebrate each other and their beliefs.

The book also shared a religious story the Hopi told about why they lived in the desert. It taught the Hopi chose to live in the desert, because they knew they would have to work hard but they would be safe because nobody would envy them. That prediction actually came true during the time that white settlers were taking over. The Hopi were mostly left alone because they didn't own gold and they lived in the desert.

Great series. I'd love to read more about the Hopi.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books in the series, along with the Iroquois one. The introduction does a really good job of setting the whole thing up, and then most of the book focuses on pre-colonial Hopi life. Then near the end it talks about their encounters with Spanish settlers, incorporation of the land into the US, and the residential schools. It was a good opportunity to talk with my kids about those schools and why it was so damaging to Native American cultures. But the book also ends talking about modern Hopi life, so they aren’t presented as relics of the past but as people who still live. Great book.

[Emilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for children (and adults). It touches on many aspects of the Hopi way of life and is written in an easy-to-understand way, so much so that my 4 year old can understand most of it. The book is long enough and filled with so much info that we can spend 2-3 reading sessions going through it. We've read it 3 times over the last 6 months and it doesn't get boring for me to reread and has some really nice life lessons in it. I definitely recommend this book, especially to people with children.

[Adam Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher of American History, I try always to only include sources on indigenous folk either by those folk themselves or with extensive and thorough involvement from those folk. The If You Lived With series is doing a great job elevating those native voices. The Hopi are a favorite of mine with their emphasis on peace and harmony. The book does its best to let them speak their truth and not shy away from the heartbreaking effects of colonization and attempted genocide by the US government. A great intro for young readers.

[Jacque · Rating 3 out of 5]

MK read this aloud to me. She gave it 4 stars. I give it 3. It had a lot of information, but some of it was boring. MK liked learning about the Hopi religion. I enjoyed learning about the responsibilities of the different family members. Uncles were in charge of disciplining children.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book very educational

[Mellanie C]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13118779