Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – At a recent Tribal Council meeting, Hopi leaders unanimously agreed to approve Resolution H-113-2012, in which they formally state their position to strongly oppose the development of a commercial initiative at the Grand Canyon called the “Grand Canyon Escalade”.

The Hopi people continue to have connections to their ancestral past, including the landscapes, ruins, ceremonial trails, shrines, springs and rivers. The Hopi and many other southwestern Tribes, as well as members of the Navajo Tribe, hold the Grand Canyon (Öngtupqa) and its cultural contributories, a sacred place of reverence and respect. Hopi religious leaders and the Hopi people in general, also strongly oppose this development.

“The Canyon is still regularly visited by Hopis to deposit prayer offerings in the area of the confluence, so this development will adversely affect the sacredness of this special place”, said Leigh Kuwanwisiwma Director of the Hopi Tribe’s Cultural Preservation Office. “Because of the significance of Öngtupqa, it is extremely important for the Hopi people to preserve and protect this area from harm and wrongful exploitation.”

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