Will we listen to the Hopi?

In my previous post about competition and collaboration, I talked about the plight of the Hopi people in North America, who have peacefully struggled to maintain their culture amid the competitive force of modern America. 

I had never actually heard of the Hopi until a few years ago, but in recent times I’ve been finding references to them appearing at almost every turn as I research all manner of seemingly unrelated topics. I developed a sense that there was something significant about the Hopi and that I needed to tune in. 

And so it was that Vineeta and I found ourselves in an old General Motors SUV cruising down the seemingly never ending desert road into what most people would call the middle of nowhere, but which to the Hopi represents the centre of the universe. Our short time in Hopi had a profound effect on me and I’ve been fascinated by how their culture weaves a thread between ancient beliefs and our modern world. 

Being a complete outsider, I was torn as to whether I should write this post, but the last of the traditional Hopi elders made concerted efforts to get their message to the outside world and have asked for help from any friendly hearts who are able to help them do so. I therefore feel that sharing a little of their message with you here is the least I can do.

I know that this topic might seem a little off-piste for a newsletter about sustainable business, but I find that the most interesting insights are often found off the beaten path. So let’s turn off that straight desert road and enter the world of the Hopi.

Hopi petroglyphs are often considered as primitive rock art but are in fact visual reminders of a rich oral tradition passed down through the generations

So where should we begin? 

Perhaps a good place to begin would be… the beginning of time. 

The Hopi believe that the universe is one interrelated continuum that began as endless space with no time and no shape. Then Taiowa, the Infinite Creator, conceived of the finite. He created Sotuknang, the first being, and instructed him to create nine universes, including this one that we call home.

Within this universe, Sotuknang created the First World called Tokpela. Planet Earth v1.0 was a round planet, rotating about its North-South axis in space and held in balance by an invisible spiralling force between its two poles. Tokpela was very much like the Earth as we know it today but with different geography and ecology.

The creation of Tokpela culminated with the creation of the first humans, who were morally pure, of perfect health and were in perfect tune with the environment around them. Sotuknang created different races of humans with different languages and gave them the wisdom to love and respect each other. These first peoples spread and multiplied, understanding that Mother Earth was a living being from whose flesh they were made and that the plants were her milk that provided sustenance for all animals, including humans. 

Gradually over time, some of these first people began to forget the wisdom of their Creator, becoming too focused on Earthly pleasures. A spirit called Lavaihoya, the Talker, saw this as an opportunity and began trying to convince the people of their differences; differences between humans and animals, between races and between individuals. Another spirit named Kato’ya then came and corrupted people's minds still further until eventually the people of Earth began to fight one another. 

This was not good. 

Taiowa and Sotuknang discussed the problem and decided that the first world must be destroyed. They found those humans who still had pure hearts and led them to safety underground with the Ant People before the world was destroyed by fire. 

These people then emerged into the Second World called Tokpa and began to spread out and repopulate the planet. The animals kept their distance from humans in this new world, unsure if they could be trusted. The people had learned from the industriousness of the Ant People during their stay and used this new knowledge to make things with their hands and store surpluses of food. This led to the people beginning to trade and barter with one another.

This was when the trouble started.

Everything the people needed was in the Second World, but they began to want more, trading for things they didn't need. The more they got, the more they wanted. They were so caught up in their material desires that they didn’t realise that they were drawing away from the good life given to them. The people’s greed led them to quarrel and fight and then wars between villages broke out.

This was not good.

Taiowa and Sotuknang decided that humanity had gone too far down the wrong track and that they must start the world afresh. Once again, the people of pure heart were led to safety with the Ant People and then the world was destroyed by ice. After some time, the ice receded and these people emerged into the Third World, Kuskurza, where they continued their journey on the Road of Life. 

This time, the people multiplied in huge numbers and advanced so rapidly that they developed a technological civilization. This focus on their own earthly designs disconnected them from their innate wisdom and the guiding spirits of the cosmos. They became fiercely competitive and created flying machines to attack each other's cities, rapidly spreading war around the globe. 

This was not good. 

This Third World was still relatively new, but things were so bad that Sotuknang decided that there was no use continuing. He instructed Spider Woman to save the pure hearted people by sealing them safely inside hollow reeds before he destroyed the world with a great flood. 

After the flood subsided, the people emerged into the Fourth World, Tuwaqachi, in which we now live. Fourth time around, the people weren't given such an easy start. Led by the spirits, they found themselves on an epic journey to the lands that are now Hopi, and having reached there they were not allowed to stop. Each group was instructed by Maasaw, who had been appointed Guardian Spirit of the Earth, to travel to the four edges of the land before returning back. This journey by foot to all edges of the American continent took many generations to complete and many dropped out along the way, settling in places that offered them a comfortable and stable life. The Hopi believe this to be the origin of civilizations including the Mayans, Aztecs and Toltecs. 

Only a few returned and those who had completed the journey without using their powers for evil were united in the settlement of Oraibi as the Hopi, meaning People of Peace. The discipline demonstrated by these people in completing the journey and staying pure of heart in the face of temptation demonstrated that they could be trusted, while their acceptance of their final home in the harsh landscape of what is now Arizona proved that they were humble and would always remember their dependence on the life giving spirits of nature.

As the trusted people, Maasaw gave the Hopi information to guide them and to help humanity in the future. This included a number of prophecies to act as road signs in the passage of time, as well as instructions that the Hopi should pass to humanity when the closing of the Fourth World approached. The last of the traditional Hopi elders believed that the time to share this information arrived toward the end of the 20th Century.

I have to admit that the idea that we are approaching the end of the Fourth World is somewhat ominous and probably not an ideal message for many people today suffering from forms of societal and eco-anxiety, but the Hopi encourage us to stay positive and remember that the future is always in our hands. Furthermore, it is said that the Fourth World is the mid-point in humanities journey through seven worlds, at the end of which we will have found our own way back to unity. Put another way, we may have challenges ahead, but we also have the opportunity to move toward a bright future for humanity.

It might sound contradictory for the Hopi to share prophecies and also promote the power of freewill, but this is explained by the fact that prophecy is not the same as prediction. Prediction is definitive, whereas prophecy simply represents the likely course of events that will unfold if we choose to follow a particular path. We might not be on the right path at this point in history, but we all have the opportunity to use our freewill to help humanity course correct. And this is the purpose of the instructions left for us by the last of the traditional Hopi elders.

Taiowa, the Infinite Creator is symbolised as the sun. Though not actually the Sun itself, it is through the portal of the Sun that Taiowa can see into and communicate with our world.

Considering the grand narrative arc of the Hopi cosmological story and the precarious nature of this moment in history, it would be easy to imagine that the instructions left by the Hopi traditional elders might take the form of an instruction manual on how to save the world. Instead what we find is something so profoundly simple that it contrasts starkly with our increasingly complex political, technological and cultural attempts to solve our biggest problems.

I’ve done my best to piece together these high level instructions into a simplified format that is easy to follow in an article like this, but encourage you to do your own research and explore them in more depth. With that said, let’s dive in. 

Instructions for a better future

1. Make your own covenant with the Creator - This first instruction sounds uncomfortably religious for many of us modern folk, but the Hopi state that they do not want others to adopt their religion. Instead, they simply ask that we begin by making an agreement with ourselves to honour and respect the forces of creation in whatever form we believe them to exist.

2. Live simply - Hopi life stands as a model of the simple life, but they don’t expect others to live like them. Instead, they encourage us to embrace the spirit of simplicity in the context of our own lives and treasure the things that truly matter in life. As part of this we are told to practise self-denial as a key aspect of our spiritual development, teaching ourselves to overcome temptations and let go of our attachments and addictions to material pleasures. 

3. Practice self-sufficiency - I talked about self-sufficiency in a post not long ago, and it also features in the Hopi instructions. They are realistic that true self-sufficiency is impossible for most modern humans, but they encourage us to embrace it in whatever way we can. Not only do small steps toward self-sufficiency help us to deepen our gratitude for what nature provides for us, but will also help us to increase our resilience ahead of any challenges that the future may bring.

4. Blend with Mother Earth and celebrate life - Summed up in the saying “Techqua Ikachi”, the Hopi encourage us to immerse ourselves in the natural world to the point that we no longer feel separate from it. A key part of this is to celebrate the joy of life on Earth and the wonders that surround us each day, admiring the beauty in all of nature's creations.

5. Share the fruits of life - The Earth has provided enough for all of us to live a good life but this is only possible when those of us who have more than we need are open to share with those less fortunate than ourselves. We should work to shift ourselves from a mindset of fear and accumulation to a mindset of abundance and generosity. This even extends to our intentions, where we should share our hopes of good fortune for ourselves with all living creatures.

6. Slow down - It’s amazing how many people I meet who say that time seems to be speeding up, but what is fascinating about the Hopi is that they tell us that this is in fact the case. The Hopi believe that time is relative to the speed at which humanity runs, and that as we continuously find ways to accelerate our lives, we inadvertently speed up the passage of time here on Earth. But the converse is also true, meaning that as more of us make a conscious effort to run a little less fast on the hamster wheel of life, we will all have more time to enjoy.

7. Love all of creation - Like many ancient cultures, the Hopi teach us that everything in creation is connected and that we must embrace our oneness with each other and love all forms of life. If we are to achieve a world of harmony, we must cultivate a culture of love, peace and togetherness.

8. Spread wholesome words - Much of our impact in the world comes through our words, whether spoken, written or thought. The Hopi encourage us to purify our words so that we spread good vibrations in the world around us. Furthermore, as actions follow thoughts and words, wholesome words are also the beginning of wholesome actions.

9. Be your authentic self - We are all unique human beings and have special qualities that we bring to the world. We should trust that we are who we are meant to be, live as authentically as possible, and always strive to be the best version of ourselves.

10. Trust in the universe - The Hopi believe that life is a dance between freewill and fate, but that the universe wants the best for all of us, individually and collectively. They encourage us to trust that the universe is rooting for us, even when life is hard, and to use our freewill to follow our natural path rather than fight against it.

11. Be peaceful - The core message of the Hopi is one of peace and unity. The Hopi origin story teaches us how division and conflict led to the destruction of the previous three worlds and their prophecies warn us that it will also end our Fourth World if we are not careful. Peace and harmony between all people and all of nature must therefore be our top priority.

OK, but what about sustainable business?

All of these instructions are very much things that we can apply in our lives as individual humans, but the Hopi also believe that society is simply a reflection of our collective attitudes and behaviours. This is why it is important that we begin with ourselves, even if our ambition is to create bigger change within our organisations or within society at large.

That said, I do think there are some specific lessons here that can help inform our thinking about sustainable and responsible business practices.

For example, the first observation is that in the Second World of the Hopi creation story, there is a direct chain of events that leads from humans beginning to manufacture goods to them trading those goods to them going to war. Likewise, the rapid technological development of the Third World also led to war by accelerating humanities sense of separateness from each other and from nature. In this context “sustainable business“ looks like a rather extreme oxymoron.

It’s interesting therefore to contrast this with “sharing the fruits of life” being one of the Hopi instructions. Perhaps this gives us a clue regarding the direction of travel we should be taking in our approaches to business and work more broadly, focussing more on sharing and collaboration than competition and accumulation.

Regarding technology, it would be easy to think that the traditional Hopi are anti-technology, but of course even they do use forms of technology in their daily lives, even if we consider them primitive. A key insight into their perspective on technology comes from their prophecy about the riches buried under Hopi lands. Maasaw told the Hopi:

“… you have settled in the desert, yet the land is filled with riches. … There exists a storehouse of treasures underground but you must not dig them up yet. Three big wars will rage. Should you excavate these treasures while the killing is taking place, powerful weapons will be forged from them… Not before the day of purification has been completed, may you unearth these things. At that time people will benefit from them”.

It is believed that this prophecy largely refers to the Uranium deposits under traditional Hopi lands and implies that the Hopi do not believe technology to be inherently bad, but instead that humanity must reach a level of moral and spiritual maturity before we are able to use it safely.

Finally, I think there are some broader messages for those of us running organisations, including the importance of prioritising peace over conflict, of embedding more contact with nature into the world of work, of try to find ways to slow down in a fast paced world, and of developing organisations that embrace simplicity and self-sufficiency.

One of the concerns of the last traditional Hopi elders was that modern people don’t take them seriously because they view them as primitive, superstitious people who don’t understand the modern world. However, for generations they’ve carried their message of peace along with their prophecies and instructions in order to help humanity. I think that’s worthy of respect and the least we can do is listen to what they have to say.

I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface but I must stop. I hope this small detour into the world of the Hopi has provided you with some worthwhile food for thought. I’d love to know what perspectives it has awakened within you so please do share your thoughts in the comments or on LinkedIn. I read them all and deeply appreciate them.

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As mentioned, this article includes a top level view of some of the Hopi cosmology and instructions as I have understood them. I encourage you to do your own research into the rich culture and teachings of the Hopi and if you feel appropriate, to use whatever channels you have available to spread some of their message to humanity.

Techqua Ikachi!

P.S. It’s interesting to note that the Hopi cosmology has a lot of parallels with other ancient cultures such as the Indian cycle of the yugas. Check out these interesting crossovers in my earlier post about imagining a positive future.