HOPI QUILTS
KAET-TV/CHANNEL 8

"Our people have always been recognized for the artistry of our pottery, baskets, silver and kachinas. Now people recognize our quilters, too."
Karen Tootsie, Hopi Quilter

Since missionaries introduced the American craft of quilting to Hopi women 100 years ago, the simple patchwork bedcoverings have evolved into contemporary works of art incorporating Hopi symbols and designs. Until recently, however, this art form was little known outside the Hopi villages. Hopi Quilts take viewers inside the homes of Hopi quilters to hear their voices, gain insight into their culture, and discover how they have adopted an American tradition and made it uniquely their own.

When Mennonite missionaries came to the remote Hopi reservation in 1893 and began to teach Hopi women to make quilts, it was a break with tradition. In Hopi culture, men did the weaving and sewing, and at first they made fun of the women's clumsy efforts to stitch together the fabric pieces provided each Sunday by the missionaries. But over time, women began to work on their quilts together and mothers taught the stitchery to their daughters. The workmanship became more intricate and the quilters added traditional Hopi symbols to their designs.

Now, Hopi quilters meet regularly in villages throughout the remote reservation to share an experience that has become an outlet for creative expression. They socialize while they work, with young women listening attentively to the stories told by their elders. Hopi society is maternal, with traditions passed from mother to daughter, and quilting has become part of that tradition. Quilts also have been integrated into community observances -- they are part of baby-naming ceremonies, given as wedding gifts and created to commemorate special occasions.

Some of the Hopi quilters are reaching out to develop a market for their work and provide much-needed income for their families. For others, the rewards of quilting are personal, not financial. They find pleasure in choosing and touching the fabrics and creating a design. The quilts, the women explain, are a way of expressing themselves. And they are just beginning to see their work recognized as an art.

"Hopi Quilts" is part of KAET's Arizona Collection, a series of programs that explore the land, history and people of Arizona.

For information on how to purchase a videocassette, visit the Arizona Collection Video Store.

"Hopi Quilts" is a production of Pam Stevenson Communications and KAET/Phoenix, produced in association with PMN and ITVS, with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding by SRP and the Arizona Humanities Council.