A Brief History of Oraibi

The village of Oraibi (Orayvi) sits atop Third Mesa on the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona. Established around 1100 AD, the village is thought to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America. The village has borne witness to a tumultuous history of contact with missionaries and government emissaries and, despite this outside influence, still retains a unique structure of independent governance.

Sun Rises on the Sun House

In the early 18th century, the population of Oraibi numbered in the thousands.

Although drought and disease in the latter 18th century reduced the Hopi population significantly, Oraibi remained a bustling center of ceremonial life. At the turn of the 20th century, half the total Hopi population lived in Oraibi. Although the village was a long bastion of resistance to US government intervention, interaction with the Indian Agency increased leading up to the turn of the century and culminated in the "Oraibi Split" of 1906. The split was precipitated by a growing divide between the so-called "friendlies", those who were willing to cooperate with the American government and the "hostiles", those who opposed government influence and intervention. As this rift came to a head, a contest between the leaders of the two factions was held. Yukiwima, the leader of the hostiles faced off against the leader of the friendlies, Tawaquaptewa. They lined up chest to chest and with their respective supporters pushing from behind, endeavored to shove the other over a designated line. After hours of struggle, Tawaquaptewa prevailed, and Yukiwima and his followers were forced to immediately leave the village.

Reduced to Near Ruins

This split, which even further reduced the population of Oraibi, left the village without practitioners of certain ceremonies and it's import as a ceremonial center faded. However, although the so-called hostiles were forced to leave, Oraibi in fact remains one of the most traditional villages on the reservation in several ways. Residents of Oraibi live with neither electricity nor water, and they are among the few villages that refuse to send council representation to the Hopi Tribal Council. Although each village is autonomous, Oraibi is unique in that it has insisted more strongly upon it's autonomy, even refusing funding from Tribal Council. Because of it's unique history and archaeological significance, Oraibi was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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