The Hopi Foundation
Lomasumi'nangtukwsiwmani
"Strengthening
Communities
through
Collaborative
Actions"
History
The Hopi Foundation was established in 1985 by local Hopis who wanted to promote self-sufficiency, proactive community participation in their own destiny, self-reliance, and local self-determination. We were incorporated in the state of Arizona as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1987.
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The Hopi Foundation was founded to bridge the gap between modern and traditional. The question of how a vital, complex, and sophisticated people can maintain not only their values but their own voice and contribution to humankind in the face of encroachment by a dominant and forceful majority culture is an important one. The values of the Hopi people include millennia-old practices concerned with respecting the rights of other people, respect for and protection of the environment, self-determination and an attendant repugnance for government welfare programs, and integration of all aspects of life into a balanced and harmonious way of being.
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In our 30-plus years of existence, we have initiated, grown, and housed nearly 20 projects that benefit our Hopi/Tewa communities in the areas of culture, well-being, capacity building, sustainability, farming, historical preservation, and youth development.
Mission
Our mission is outlined in our name, Lomasumi'nangtukwsiwmani, which signifies a community process of furthering unity of aspiration that blossoms into full maturity over time. In short, we work to grow the current and future potential of our larger community..
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We serve a population of 7,000 Hopi across 12 villages on the Hopi Reservation, as well as other Native American tribes and indigenous societies.
The Hopi Foundation is committed to implementing projects that provide viable alternatives to the existing options of poverty or government dependence. Priority issues are raised by community members, and demonstration projects are designed with the direction and input of village members. Hopi Foundation projects represent prototypes for effective community development. They involve: (1) presentation or solicitation of a need to the Foundation by a village or community; (2) providing technical expertise to empower Hopi people with the skills and knowledge necessary to create a demonstration project that will answer this need; and (3) documenting this process so that it can be exported to other villages, tribes, and people.
Current Work
We host a number of community-based projects on the Hopi reservation including: KUYI - 88.1 FM Hopi Radio, HOPI Substance Abuse Prevention Center, Hopi Leadership Program, and Natwani Coalition. We primarily serve residents within the Hopi reservation but our services also extend to surrounding communities
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The Hopi Foundation also works to provide Community Capacity Building through education, grantmaking, sponsorship,
Additionally, we host a number of seasonal projects including the Hopi VITA Partnership and the Barbara Chester Award. Occasionally, our projects may go into a short dormancy period, where we take some time to assess and reflect on our journey and what we have learned from our partnerships. The Hopi Opportunity Youth Initiative is one project that is currently in such a period. We also provide small community grants year-round to local organizations and initiatives that help to further or inspire our mission. Lastly, we also have financial investments in the form of endowments, the Steven Thayer Scholarship, and the Hopi Emergency Assistance Fund.
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Please take some time to visit our individual project pages or websites to learn about their initiatives and the services they provide.
