Mande and Hopi: A comparitive

A detailed Summary of Mande and Hopi: A comparitive

The Hopi and The Mande: A Comparative Cultural Analysis.

Tradition is defined as a set of customs and beliefs that are largely stable through time, the passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation, especially by oral communication. It is through tradition that the Hopi Indians of Northeast Arizona and the Mande people of West Africa have been able to survive as distinct cultures in this rapidly changing world. The art of oral tradition, or historical storytelling, has been the main resource for the continuous education of children in these cultures, and will continue to play a vital role in the progression of their civilizations. The arts, cosmogony, music, and agricultural influences of these cultures are related in many different ways, and all contribute to their distinguishing qualities.

The Mande People are renowned for the wide variation in their religious, linguistic, and social practices. Also called the Mali or Mandingo, the Mande People are primarily located on the Savanna Plateau of Western Africa. They rely heavily on their natural surroundings for survival. Mande agriculture is based on shifting hoe cultivation and their primary crops are rice, yams, and cassava, although cattle are

This agricultural life is referred to as the fourth way of life for the Hopi. Agricultural activities also reinforce traditions and customs in each new generation, "This is not about growing vegetables; its about growing kids."(Hopi farmer)

The cosmogony of the Mande people has been passed down generation to generation by griots. The griot is a traditional storyteller and musician in African societies who recounts genealogy at ceremonies such as marriages, circumcisions and funerals, through the use of a Kora. A Kora is a twenty-one stringed West African harp which requires great skill to master, and is used by the griots of West Africa to accompany their epics.

Because of the arid and temperate climate in Arizona, the Hopi are very dependent on water as a resource. As a form of religious ritual, the Hopi perform a special dance in late August called the Snake Dance. The Snake Dance is an annual religious ceremony in which performers dance with live snakes in their mouths. It is believed by the Hopi that when the snakes dig into the ground the snakes ask the water gods for rain.

Although these two cultures are separated by thousands of miles, they both rely on the role of tradition to continue their cultures. Their relationship and respect for the earth, the crops, the weather, and the forces of nature are all celebrated in their rituals, arts and performance. Hopefully, with the continued expression of oral tradition, these two cultures will be able to flourish for years to come.

One of the most notable similarities between the Mande culture and the Hopi Culture is the use of masks in religious ritual. The Hopi Kachina mask is worn by men during ceremonies and is thought to temporarily transform the performer into the depicted being on the mask. The identity of the spirit is depicted not by the form of the mask, which is usually plain and flat, but by the color, leather, feathers, and ornamentation of

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Approximate Word count = 1305
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Foreign