A (a
Hopi word) was a small hole or indentation in the floor of a (pithouse). Kivas were used by the
Ancestral Puebloans and continue to be used by modern-day
Puebloans
The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Z ...
. The symbolizes the portal through which their ancient ancestors
first emerged to enter the present world.
Hopi mythology
The Hopi maintain a complex religious and mythological tradition stretching back over centuries. However, it is difficult to definitively state what all Hopis as a group believe. Like the oral traditions of many other societies, Hopi mythology is ...
(and similar traditions in other Pueblo cultures such as the
Zuni and
Acoma Acoma may refer to:
* ''Acoma'' (beetle), a scarab beetle genus of subfamily Melolonthinae
* Acoma Pueblo, a Native American pueblo
* Acoma, Nevada, a ghost town
* Acoma Township, McLeod County, Minnesota, US
* , more than one ship of the US Navy
...
) states that this is the hole from which the first peoples of this world entered. As they stepped outside of the , they changed from lizard-like beings into human form. It is from this point that the "First Peoples" of the Earth began to divide and separate, becoming tribes. The original sipapu is said to be located in the
Grand Canyon.
References
Citations
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Further reading
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Native American religion
Puebloan architectural elements
Underworld
Hopi culture
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