Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects

02/28/2025

Dear Friends, Family, and Associates of Sandra Cosentino,

With tender hearts we share the news of Sandra's recent passing on February 7, 2025. We will deeply miss her very tangible and magical connection to Nature and Native traditions, and her ability to connect us with our own depths and with each other.

Sandra was proud of her pioneer heritage and with that pioneer spirit and her tremendous energy and focus she turned Crossing Worlds Journeys & Retreats into an ongoing opportunity for deep introspection, cross-cultural understanding, and personal adventures of the spirit.

Sandra cherished a long and fruitful connection with the Hopi, the Diné, and clients from all over the world. It was through this rich network of people from all walks of life that she developed her nonprofit work and Crossing Worlds Hopi Projects was established to support sustainability, cultural continuance and cross-cultural sharing with the Hopi people.

Sandra was passionate about exploring the outdoors and the nature-based wisdom traditions of the world. She inspired us all to connect deeply with the natural world and was very much an advocate of direct-knowing or, as she would say, “Be your own Shaman”.

Donations in Sandra's honor may be made to The Hopi Foundation hopifoundation.org

Blessings ~

11/12/2024

Molly of Denali is an excellent PBS animated program:

"Meet the Alaska Natives Who Gave ‘Molly of Denali’ an Authentic Voice.
It is the first nationally distributed children’s series to feature a Native American lead character, Molly Mabray, a feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Gwich’in/Koyukon/Dena’ina Athabascan girl.
WGBH Boston developed Molly of Denali with a working group of Alaska Native advisors, including Elders, who advise on many aspects of the show, including culture and languages."

11/12/2024

"In 2000, Hopi Tribal leadership wisely vested funding for the Hopi sinom (people) and their need for higher educational opportunities by establishing the Hopi Education Endowment Fund for the purpose of raising funds for college scholarships."

https://www.hopieducationfund.org/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGgjfdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRTKrg1em6tN2qeCtChipNpGjO8ZFe0lqRUZlYOeNnWAjCq62wg_ikjuUw_aem__96akoVaWrkbWz4YuKzkvw

Native American/American Indian Nonprofit organization securing a future for the Hopi people through education.

10/29/2024

"Forest Service, Yavapai-Apache Nation finalize land exchange in north central Arizona
Signing ceremony to be held November 4
PRESCOTT, Ariz., Oct. 29, 2024 — On October 18 Prescott National Forest Supervisor Sarah Clawson signed the Decision Notice authorizing the equal value exchange of lands currently owned by the Yavapai Apache Nation for parcels on National Forest lands.

In celebration of this historic occasion, the Yavapai-Apache Nation will host a signing ceremony on November 4 beginning at 10 a.m at the Nation’s Tunlii Community Center, located at 1520 E. Cherry Creek Rd., Camp Verde, Arizona.

The project includes exchange to the United States of approximately 4,782 acres of inholdings within the National Forest System, owned by the Yavapai-Apache Nation. These six parcels are located in four national forests – Prescott, Coconino, Kaibab and Apache-Sitgreaves – and are surrounded by National Forest System lands. In exchange, the Nation is receiving approximately 3,201 acres of federal land, most of which are in the wildland-urban interface, all of which are a part of the Yavapai-Apache ancestral homelands, and nearly all contiguous to the Nation’s existing lands near Camp Verde, Arizona.

This decision concludes a multi-year, multi-agency planning effort first proposed in 1996. According to Supervisor Clawson, “Through the years, there have been many delays and changes to the proposal, but the Forest Service and Yavapai-Apache Nation have never lost sight of their joint objective of developing a land exchange that would benefit both public and tribal lands. This decision is the culmination of many years of joint effort and will support the mission of the Forest Service as well as provide for the economic and social needs of the Nation’s growing population.”

Yavapai-Apache Nation Chairwoman Tanya Lewis adds, “This land exchange is historic for the Yavapai-Apache Nation, providing a sustainable future socially, economically and culturally, and is a direct result of our collaborative work with the U.S. Forest Service and the many stakeholders throughout the Verde Valley that were participatory and included in the process. We are proud to share this historic land exchange for the Yavapai-Apache Nation with the U.S. Forest Service and our neighbors throughout the Verde Valley, demonstrating that working together we can collectively achieve conservation of natural resources, preservation of cultural heritage, and cultivation of tribal and regional economies to ensure a future of hope and sustainability."

For maps and additional information about land exchange please visit the project website fs.usda.gov/project/prescott/?project=63848. Additional information is also available at yavapai-apache.org/land-exchange/. "

source: JOINT NEWS RELEASE: Forest Service, Yavapai-Apache Nation finalize land exchange in north central Arizona

10/15/2024

Hopi womens basket dances have been happening this month in celebration of harvest.

Basket Toss historic painting by Fred Kabotie

09/19/2024

"National Park Service officials say 100 bison were successfully relocated from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last Friday. The bison are headed to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Since reduction efforts began in 2018, park staff have removed 306 bison from the North Rim, with 282 transferred to eight different American Indian tribes through an agreement with the Intertribal Buffalo Council. The 2024 summer population estimate for the herd was around 378 Buffalo at the North Rim."
source: https://gcmaz.com/kaff-news/kaff_news/officials-relocate-100-bison-from-the-north-rim-to-south-dakota/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFZVt9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQQuV_MwhvPXe_iLILLUjS_QWvdSbOW4sdQrqDe4zA3bnh96_Q1BF01nYQ_aem_zzmpgiDR9e_-J8GyXbUgtQ

National Park Service officials say 100 bison were successfully relocated from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last Friday. The bison are headed to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Since reduction efforts began in 2018, park staff have removed 306 bison from the North Rim, with 282....

09/07/2024

The Window Rock Navajo Fair, Sept 4 - 8, is both fun and a learning experience-- from agricultural and livestock, and cultural booths to daily traditional Navajo Song and dance and pow wow dancing, plus Rodeos, a carnival, Navajo food booths and contemporary music the last 2 nights, and more.
It is well organized and has a good amount of parking.

We are two weeks away from the 2024 Navajo Nation Fair. Here's a proposed schedule for the 5-Day Event, starting Wednesday, September 4 through Sunday, September 8, 2024 at the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds in Window Rock, Arizona.

09/06/2024

Hopi Cultural Ties to Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
source: Grand Canyon Trust blog by Amber Reimondo
Timothy Nuvangyaoma, the chairman of the Hopi Tribe says:
"Our connection as Hopis goes back to the beginning of time. The Grand Canyon is a place of emergence for the Hopi people and the clans that eventually migrated through all four corners of this world, Tuuwaqatsi. There are many cultural and religious sites that are still very much alive today.
It holds a place that we call Öngtuvqa, which is a salt mine area that has a really strong cultural significance. And several other tribes use that resource for their own ceremonial doings. Even today, there’s a certain group of Hopi men with privileged knowledge that make rigorous pilgrimages to some of these sacred sites to make offerings and blessings, for not only Hopi, but for the entire world and everybody that inhabits it, including all the animals.
The establishment of the monument tells the world that we are going to continue fighting to protect areas of cultural and traditional significance, and the natural resources that live and thrive in the canyon. It's an important step in the right direction to protect this area for generations to come."

photo by Raymond Chee
https://www.grandcanyontrust.org/blog?fbclid=IwY2xjawFILj5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZ-p5-_CtUfJzigfL18zNlxnoRZfkX4P_6_TQJHxjBtlZhhlVmHtwiCjRw_aem_5HAwc70K-Nv18OkcVUaLTw

08/30/2024

"Plans are currently underway for this year’s Sumi’nungwa Hopi Festival, which is scheduled for September 28 – 29, 2024 at the Hopi Veteran’s Memorial Center in Kykotsmovi, Ariz. on the Hopi reservation.
The popular 10K & 5K races will return once again for 2024. The courses are very challenging with majority of it consisting of soft sandy trails, with steep hills and beautiful scenery atop a plateau with cedar trees overlooking down to the Hopi Veteran’s Memorial Center.
An invitation is open to all Hopi and Tewa Villages to bring a dance group. As always, a dance group from Zuni
Pueblo from New Mexico attended last year’s event and showcased their Comanche dance, as did the Bird Dancers from the Gila River Indian reservation."
Source: Hopi Tutuveni newspaper.

08/02/2024

Post by Ed Kabotie today:
'In an effort to provide community information about the haul route and oppose uranium mining and transport on Native lands of the Colorado Plateau, Cloud Mtn Arts presents “UPRISING”, an edu-tainment presentation featuring the voices of Haul No, Nava-Hopi Metal sensation Icy Whisper, Dine/Apache singer/songwriter Sage Bond, Hopi Rez Rockers Descendant, and a one time performance from reggae/rock band ROADKILL made up of members from Tha 'Yoties and Innastate. UPRISING, Saturday, August 10th, 5pm-10pm at The Legacy Room at Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites in Tuba City, AZ. $5 Admission. 12 and under FREE! "