The wonders of Arizona

After many phone calls trying to set up a meeting with the Hopi Cultural speaker or the tribal chairman, we set off to Hopi, in the hopes of realizing this meeting. in order to talk  about the auctions in France of Hopi religious artifacts. I once attended such an auction to bear witness afterwards to the Hopi.  Anyway, after Kikotsmovi we drove on through Oak Creek canyon to Sedona and then I really got my drivers license driving up to Jerome and then down the mountain to go to Prescot, where the ice cream is still very good, however in way too big scoops. It is a livable town also for Europeans. Bookshops and a town square, nice buildings, a bit of culture. And then the long drive back. Today started with torrential rain, so no painting windows or doors and, Dan called to say that there is snow on the mountains. And indeed, there is a general dusting on the tops and some higher peaks might even show up white when the rain has stopped and the clouds have lifted. I have a small gas stove, so there is some heat in the house. Also this kind of weather is conducive to cooking. it is a reading day, not a go play outside and see the sights day. And that is good too. In Flagstaff there is real heavy snow, the first of the year, upon leaving Flagstaff the San Francisco Peaks where white.

Again an auction of Hopi Katsinam Friends in France

Hopi Chairman Herman Honanie on Wednesday called for the Justice Department and other federal agencies to take whatever actions they can to block planned auctions in France of ceremonial katsina faces, considered sacred to the tribe. Already twice I went to Paris to go and watch what happened during the sales of the Hopi Katsinam Friends. There was each time a lot of protest, but the French authorities don't seem to care.
The Arizona congressional delegation asked U.S. agencies to help block katsina auctions.
Two auctions in Paris of the sacred Hopi objects are planned during June.
Five auctions have taken place since 2013, despite efforts by the Hopi to stop them.
The point of view of the Hopi is clear: I quote here:
Hopi leaders, backed by Arizona's entire congressional delegation, on Wednesday called for the Justice Department and other federal agencies to take whatever actions they can to block planned auctions in France of ceremonial katsina faces, considered sacred to the tribe.
"We need to bring all our katsina friends home to their rightful place on the Hopi lands," declared tribal Chairman Herman Honanie. "Hopi is absolute in its stance that these auctions must cease. We call on all local, state and federal agencies to aid our efforts..."
During a news conference at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Honanie said auction houses in Paris have scheduled sales of the visages on June 1 and June 10, with a total of 13 ceremonial katsinas. At least five similar auctions have been conducted since April 2013, despite Hopi efforts to stop them through French courts and regulatory agencies.
All 11 of Arizona's U.S. Senate and House members signed a letter dated May 21 to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey, asking the agencies to investigate "potential options the federal government could take to address the Hopi Tribe's concerns."
The Heard Museum and the Museum of Northern Arizona, meanwhile, released copies of a letter they addressed to French President Francois Hollande, requesting his "intervention." That correspondence says the auctions constitute "the sale of stolen property, which is obviously legally prohibited both in the United States and around the world."

Last time, at the second auction we all tried to have the sales forbidden: but the French courts decided differently. It was a sad day and the guards at the auction house were over bearing and intimidating. The auction master had no respect in handling and speaking about the katsinam.
The main point is, that the objects in the auction are sacred, ceremonial objects. They have power. They are not tourist pieces. My small shrine I have  does not hold ceremonial pieces. Just pieces that bring me joy and remind me of the beauty of Hopi ceremony and the way of life of the Hopi.

Once again sacred Hopi objects will be sold by a Paris auction house

Survival International, a NGO defending the rights of the First Nations will be back in court in order to try and stop a new sale of 25 Friends - No, they are not masks - they are living entities, used in sacred ceremonies. This time it is the auction house EVE offering for sale among other two highly esteemed Katsinam: the Crow Mother and the Friend used in the Snake Dance. These ceremonies are not open to the public since they are so sacred. The sale will be on December 9 and the friendly spirits are already on show. The sale will be once again in La Maison Drouot.The Hopi are a small nation in Arizona. Their ceremonies and religious dances are important to them. Some dances are public and then you can enjoy the beauty of it all. It saddens me that my friends once again are hurt by greed and lack of understanding. Some items have been shown in April by Minet-Neret.

Young Hopi speaks out

The young Hopi I wrote about a few days ago after the heartbreak auction of the Friends in Paris speaks out in a mature and beautiful way. Listen to him here. How right he is about the Hopi religion and the ceremonies. Thank you Bo, it was good to meet you.

After the Hopi Katsinam auction

Interview with José – A general impression

José was curious about what happened an wondered how sometimes with wrong intentions people often do work together, each in his/her on way. She thought of the Fondation Joe Dassin, the young Hopi man from Third Mesa, the American woman who was ‘escorted’ out of the room, the French journalist, the Survival people demonstration in front of the entrance distributing flyers. She had the feeling that many people came because of the commotion of the last days and found it strange that I was asked whether I was for or against the sale upon entering the building for the auction. Since I replied I was an observer we were let in. Watching what was happening around us she came to the conclusion that buying something would be unethical, on the same level as buying from a ‘drunken Hopi’. When two pieces were flagged as falling under CITES, she wondered how they got to Paris in the first place.

She questioned the attitude of the people from the auction House Neret-Minet: Although we were allowed to take as many pictures as we wanted of the Katsinam, no photographs were allowed during the actual auction nor protest. When someone uttered just one word beside placing a bit, that person was immediately ‘escorted’ out of the room or their material was confiscated for a short time. In a few instances she felt the aggression of the auction house personnel had been provoked by an activist but was genuinely offended by the attitude of the ‘bouncers’: as if this were in a bar and drunks misbehaving were 'escorted' out.

She said: “From a purely European point of view there is nothing wrong with the auction because of the ruling of the judge ‘not wanting to create a precedent which would make the sale of religious art and objects impossible’. In one breath she questioned the role of the two ‘specialists’ deciding age, authenticity, whether rare or exceptional. If they know so much, she objected, why do they insist on calling them ‘Masks’ instead of ‘Friends’ like the Hopi do.

She was absolutely shocked by their comment on the inside of certain Friends: “Beautiful patina of certain ‘masks’’ because they have been used in ceremonial and sacred dances.” She felt that part of the dancers with the Friends was being sold too. Yet, she conceded, that if one didn’t know about the significance of all this for Hopi, that then the protest might be seen as ridiculous and naive and people asking themselves : what do I have to do with it?

P.S.: Another person learned from a Director of an Ethnological Museum in France that they would want the pieces and then could make a copy for the tribes 'if the tribes didn't take care of them properly'. Their discussion had been in general about ‘African Art’ and ‘Native American Art’. That shocked me!

A quote by a friend of the Hopi.

Mr. Gilles Néret-Minet, the director of the Paris auction house, has said repeatedly that he will not delay the $1 million sale. Gilles Neret-Minet told the New York Times that the Hopi should understand the sale as an "homage" to them. "Even if it chagrins them, for the tribe this is not a negative, I think the Hopis should be happy that so many people want to understand and analyze their civilization."

I quote a friend of mine and a friend to the Hopi: "The Hopi Tribe has had it's "civilization" "analyzed" invasively for far too long. They do not want to be "analyzed" anymore. Theirs is a culture to be preserved for the Hopi People, not inspected, analyzed, stolen from or sold. Stealing and selling their sacred objects can never be considered an "homage. "That's just an excuse, a rationalization. This whole episode only serves to demonstrate Mr. Néret-Minet's ignorance and greed. He should not dare tell the Hopi People what is good for them; transplanted Europeans have been doing that for over 500 years and they are tired of it. Nothing about this should make the Hopi People "happy" as he asserts. Ignorant and insensitive statements like that can only serve to inflame the situation.

Also, assertions that there is no need to pay attention to the Constitution of the Hopi Tribe because they are not a "state," are completely absurd. The United States of America recognized the tribes as sovereign nations deserving of treaties just like any other sovereign nation and, as such, the Tribes rise above the status of even the 50 states of these United States. Further, many nations recognize the Tribes as sovereigns and some have their own recognized visas, etc. So, the Hopi Tribe has the status of a sovereign recognized to deal with the Federal Government of the United States on a government-to-government or nation-to-nation basis. I believe this qualifies the Tribe as at least a "state.""

A last remark from me: Hopi in their own language means: peaceful people. In dealing with this subject we have to remain polite. The Hopi do not want demonstrations at the auction house if the sale would go through.

The repatriation of artefacts and religious and ceremonial objects

The Katchinas on the art market and the forever higher prices are a thorny, multifaceted subject. The collecting frenzy concerning the Kachina dolls carved in cottonwood root is unimaginable. Of course people prefer to buy the old and authentic figures. In the old days and still today they were given to the Pueblo children as an educational tool of their spiritual life. They used to be hung by a string on the wall or between woven mats between the beams on the ceiling. Often adorned with stylized symbols these fascinating figures are usually connected to clouds, rain, corn, fertility. Artists and anthropologists always were interested in these colorful, often bizarre sculpting; also the Dadaists with among others Maw Ernst, Man ray and André Breton. At the public sale of Breton’s estate on the 17^th of April 2003 all the native art from his collections was auctioned of. The Katchinas fetched prices between 5000 € and 50.000 €. The Ethnological Museum from Marseille has been able to obtain one for 25.000 €. This poses a problem: Hopi, Zuni and an other nation from the plains had asked the famous auction house Hôtel Drouot in Paris, not to sell seven specific items. They were still active religious objects and the communities to which they belonged wished to use them. Without them the ritual connected to the object cannot be performed. The Katchinas and other objects are of vital importance for the well being of the peoples whose ancestors have made these objects in a ritual way. Impolite, not to say rudely Pierre Amrouche replied along the line that: your request doesn’t regard us… we do not have to comply with American law and that is a good thing” (source: Karenne Wood, responsible for the coordination of the repatriation of Native American objects). The request wasn’t even passed on to André Breton’s heirs. And legally the auction house is right, but once again ritually important objects disappeared in an overseas museum or in a private collection.

Today the Kachinas are still carved from the same roots. The style has subtly changed over the centuries, were it only because acrylic paint is used and that is much more colorful than old, vegetal dyes. The oldest images seem flatter and stiffer, with the arms close to the body, where as today one finds the arms in all kinds of positions. Basically the makers of the old Kachinas are anonymous, although the excellent doll carvers can be recognized by their style.  The problem isn’t the normal images one find in many collections, but the ritually active objects that have been stolen or other wise obtained in an unacceptable way. Although the collectors and the museums take good care of their objects, they don’t know how these objects have to be taken care of in a ritual way. Those who know these secrets, are initiated to do this in their respective societies are the only ones who can perform the task of caring for these objects. The art collectors are unaware that he is dealing with a manifestation of something spiritual or godly. And then the question: how much does one pay for that?  Can such an artifact be sold…?

This case is doubly hard, as the nations had asked for these objects. It happens that objects are repatriated, but that the tribes do not have the accommodations to keep the objects, or to display them. Moreover if the objects still have their power, that power can be contaminated by having been in the proximity of other objects with a different power. Some feathers and “masks” that had been given back, made the wearers of them very sick. It turned out that in order to kill the lice in the feathers and other things that could destroy them, the museum had used arsenic…

from the book: Wevers tussen twee werelden, Kramat, 2004

AFP article about the sale of Hopi Friends in Paris, April 12

Opposition to the sale of seventy Hopi masks in Paris

The auction house Néret-Minet Tessier & Sarrou maintain the auctioning of seventy sacred masks of the Hopi Indians, to be held on Friday, April 12^th at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris. The Museum of Northern Arizona, the Heard Museum of Phoenix and also the Bureau for the Preservation of Hopi Culture have called for its cancellation, claiming their property rights. These Katsinam masks (see picture),  worn by the dancers during religious ceremonies forbidden for white people, are considered sacred by the Hopi tribe, which lives in the North-East of Arizona. Several such items have been sold in Paris when the collection of André Breton got dispersed in 2003. These pieces can now be found in the great European Museums, the auction house reminds us. They emphasize that the Hopi base themselves on an article of the Hopi constitution which is not recognized in France because it is not a state, in order to reclaim items which have been acquired in a completely legal way by a great French collector.(AFP- Agence Press France)

A few thoughts: The pride in European museums seems to me a strange line of defense: should the Hopi come to Europe to hold the ceremonies in the 'great European Museums'? A second thought is that the Hopi as well as the other Pueblo like Zuni, Acoma and Jemez are nations within the USA. I would assume that the USA through their Department of Foreign Affairs could represent the Hopi Nation.

Hopi Katsinam alert

Sadness reigns and I am afraid that also arrogance is at play. There are few means at the disposal of the Hopi to try and repatriate their sacred Katsinam. The tribe receives help from two major museum directors. The tribe also receives advice from the State and Interior Departments, but each agency says its ability to intervene is limited. The sale is supposed to bring one million dollar. Some people are suggesting to hold a collection and buy the Katsinam in order to repatriate them and give them back to the Hopi, the Zuni, Jemez and Acoma. Most of the Katsinam are over 100 years old. I love Katsinas and own three of the small 'dolls' carved to teach their meaning to children and which can be sold to tourists. Yet the Katsinam in the auction are ceremonial sacred objects with a specific function. They are irreplaceable. Only their rightful custodians know how to care for them, how to use their power. International law seems not to regulate this situation. Yet moral law does. The auctioneers wonder why another auction last December by a smaller auction house in Paris didn't cause any reaction. Well, the Hopi didn't know, could not react. I know that Hopi religion is has strict ways of doing things and as a visitor on Hopi it is easy to do something inappropriate out of ignorance. Selling these Katsinam is inappropriate. The auction house Neret-Minet Tessier & Sarrou knows it is. The tribes, museums and individuals caring about this disastrous sale have told them so.

Please do tell them too, let them know how you feel:

M. Eric GENESTE

31bis rue du Faubourg Montmartre

75009 PARIS

Tèl: # 33 6.72.74.71.42

Email: erics@wanadoo.fr

Reactions on Indian Country Today

My two blogs about the sales of Hopi Katsinam was picked up by Indian Country Today

under the title: 71 Hopi and Zuni Masks to be Auctioned in Paris. A lot of people  comented on their post. I just copied and pasted the comments.

ICTMN Staff

March 07, 2013

On April 12, a collection of 71 Hopi and Zuni masks will be auctioned by Neret-Minet at the Druout Richelieu gallery and auction house in Paris, France. The array of katsinam masks was amassed by a collector over the course of 30 years, and date to the late 19th and early 20th century, according to the description at Druout.com (a translated version can be found at ArtDaily.org).

"The idea that a people would dedicate so much time and energy to the rise of celestial bodies fascinated our collector," reads the auction's description. "In his collection, the CROW MOTHER mask, Angwusnasomtaqa in the Hopi language, held pride of place, and he had to wait over 20 years to attend the Powamu rituals in early February, the only time the mother of all the Katsinam appears in the village. By his own admission, you have to see the masks in dances to fully appreciate them."

The text goes on to describe ten other masks being auctioned.

Not everyone is thrilled about the auction. In a post at Muddy Roads & Dusty Trails, a blogger describes the Hopi as "horrified."

"Under American law [the masks] should be repatriated to the Hopi Nation," the blogger writes. "The auction house knows this, from their good description of the pieces on can easily deduct that they know about the power of these friends but prefer the power of cash and carry. Katsinam should never be sold on the auction block. The sadness on Hopi is immeasurable. The art stolen under the Nazi regime is also in the process of being returned to their original owners families. Let the same rule be applied."

POST A COMMENT

14 Comments

Very Traditional

This is a very sad and disappointing event to hear about! Any kind of ceremonial or religious Native artifact needs to be returned to their decsendants not only here in the states but from around the world. We need to form an organization where we have people looking out for objects being sold or auctioned off like this case and use the power and knowledge that the Great Spirit gave us to bring our ancestors and implements home where they belong. "The Spirits are not happy, neither am I."

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Thu, 03/07/2013 - 19:11

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indianmedicine

It is so interesting that NAI Culture has recognized "ET's", influencing this World;when conventional Science denied any "Life Force" off this Planet. Through the "Art & Ceremony", NAI have taught their Generations of the vast Celestial Bodies that are just now being recognized and told to the General Public and Science's that NAI have always called "The Great Mystery of The Creator". Conventional European Thought publicly denied the existence of Extra Terrestrial Life, Beings, and Space Travel - where NAI in their Art captured the very essence of what the European Mind denied; and Secret Societies taught in their "Schools of Thought". Look at the Anasazi Ancient One's and their Legacy Painted on Canyon Walls - which includes ET existence, visitation, and interface with "The People".

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Thu, 03/07/2013 - 20:24

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margarita fox

It is my understanding that many "friends" were stolen from the Kiva at First Mesa approximately thirty years ago -- interesting that this "collector" began accumulating them "thirty years ago". Unless the collector is Native American he would not have been permitted to see the dances on the Mesa at any time. These should be returned to the Hopi. They carry a power that helps all mankind and can destroy those who hoard them.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 01:32

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proud indian

first our land now our religion and beliefs... its just plain disgusting!!

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 06:10

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A random Navajo

Man this is what I call a double standard, the French get all of their art stolen by the Nazi's back, yet the Hopi who are Indigenous Americans can't even get there sacred objects back even though according to law it is theirs. It is almost disgusting to see that for a people whom respect human rights that they cannot respect our rights as a people.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 09:30

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Joe Abodeely

I have been the CEO of the Arizona Military Museum for a third of a century. Arizona's rich and colorful history was forged by the militaries of the Spanish, the Mexicans, and the U.S. Before them were the various Indian cultures dating from prehistoric times. Those great Indian cultures and artifacts were lost through history, but some have survived and should all be honored and kept among the original peoples' descendants. These masks should be returned to the Hopi people. I am not a tree hugger nor a naive idealist. I am a retired Army Colonel who served his country in Vietnam as a combat infantry unit commander. I love my country and iits history which includes that of the Native American Indian.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 09:31

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Anonymous

I am Hopi and I can speak on behalf of my fellow Hopi Sinom, that this is terrible! We do not sell these as these are very sacred to us. This outrages me as an individual. So very sad.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 14:13

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Zuni Pueblo

This is very sad that we do not know that collecters all over the world can collect this like this and auction them off. This is wrong!!!

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 14:56

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Zuni Pueblo

This is very sad that we do not know that collecters all over the world can collect this like this and auction them off. This is wrong!!!

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 14:56

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maktima

this is very heart breaking but just know that the persons who will possess these sacred beings will be dealt with by the katsina spirit itself. they don't know how powerful these katsinas are but they will know later on in life.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 15:24

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Anonymous

Hopi would never give their tradition away let alone sell them. The katsinams need to be return to the Hopi land as well as the Hopi people.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 16:02

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Thieves

They need to return those masks ASAP....

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 16:35

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Anonymous

This is a complete outrage! Something must be done to keep our most sacred possessions just that-sacred! This is exactly why outsiders are not allowed at out cermonies, if these are sold this would be a blaitent disrespectful action to my Hopi people. These must be returned immediately! These artifacts are products of centuries old ceremonies done every year to pray for the Earth & the well being of our people. Our name means the Peaceful People & for this to be done to us gives me a feeling of great disgust.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 16:37

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Never lost but ...

I am appalled!! No respect for any kind of property or the Hopi self preservation. The person who didn't have any idea what they were doing and obviosly still doesn't, will only be sent to his own doom. We are all sad, and will pray for their safe return home.

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Fri, 03/08/2013 - 16:48

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/03/07/71-hopi-and-zuni-masks-be-auctioned-paris-148061

70 Hopi Katsinam friends in auction - continued...

Yesterday I explained a bit why these Friends should not be auctioned off but returned to the Hopi Nation.

One should be aware that the items to be auctioned by Néret-Minet are religious artifacts, cultural property and considered by the Hopi people to be stolen goods. As I explained yesterday these objects have a deep spiritual meaning and are extremely important to the continuation of Hopi religion. The well-being of the Hopi people depends also on them in the long run. If someone years ago has bought these items then  one should be aware that whomever had those items in custody sa only the caretaker of those items and not the owner. That person had no legal authority to sell them. These Katsinam masks are community property as well as cultural property. By law and custom these items are not mere old religious paraphernalia. The spirit of the beings they represent is contained in them. Translated from Hopi language, they are Friends and can never be personal property. I am convinced that American law, if not international law protect just this kind of items. When a few weeks ago catholic items were robbed from a church in Hungary, there followed an outcry that these old object are not art objects, but items used in religious ceremonies. It is truly important that these Hopi Friends be returned home to the Hopi religious societies that have always been and still are responsible for the welfare and care-taking of these Masks and other objects. I hope the auction house well engage in a dialog with the Hopis so that these Friends can be repatriated to the appropriate Hopi religious society. I only now begin to understand what it means to have a structured worldview with different societies and clans each fulfilling a function within the whole of Hopi and the world according to a strict calendar where time and space is linked and thus forms the religious ceremonial cycle.  And don’t think it is all sullen and serious….  Hopi like to laugh and talk and joke.  In Hopi culture there are no medicine men. Hopi have healers, often specializing in broken bones or broken spirits… To mend broken spirits the communal ceremonies are important and for that all the Katsinam need to come home. I add a declaration of the Hopi Nation:
          "Pursuant to ARTICLE VI –POWERS OF THE TRIBAL COUNCIL, SECTION 1, (k) CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE HOPI TRIBE, the Hopi Tribe/Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, of Arizona, USA, strongly opposes any sale of Hopi religious objects, described by your auction house as “70 Katsinam masks of the Hopi Indians of Arizona…”.  These Katsina friends are sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony held under religious custody by the Hopi people:
                "It is our position that these sacred objects should have never left the jurisdiction of the Hopi Tribe.  Also, no Hopi has any right or authority to transfer and sell these items currently in your possession as they are considered cultural patrimony.
                "Religious objects such as these, have no commercial value.  It is our position that no one, other than a Hopi tribal member, has a right to possess these ceremonial objects.
                "You are urgently asked to take these item off your auction and inform your clients that the Hopi tribe does not approve of them being auctioned off.  Rather, we urge you and your clients to make immediate contact with the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office to begin respectful discussions to return them back to the tribe.
                "You may also know that the country of France, was among the first nations to sign the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Rights.  Your auction house needs to respect this important international recognition of indigenous and Hopi rights.
                "Thank you for your consideration of our position on this matter.”

                Leigh J, Kuwanwisiwma, Director, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, Hopi Tribe

Hopi "Friends" for sale: seventy Hopi Katsinam

My real life Hopi friends are horrified. Seventy Hopi Katsinam will be sold in auction in France. The horror is that these Katsinam are irreplaceable and that with the loss of each Katsinam, the ceremony is also lost. Some are valuable, but that is not the issue for the Hopi. For their world to remain in a delicate balance, they must perform at the right time and place the relevant ceremony with the right Katsinam. Some ceremonies can no longer be performed because the Katsinam representing the spirit or specific force or power has been stolen or is lost to them. The sale of seventy Katsinam, offered at Néret-Minet (Maison Drouot in Paris) is a painful loss, yes a disaster. These helpers, these seventy friends should be brought home. Under American law they should be repatriated to the Hopi Nation. The auction house knows this, from their good description of the pieces on can easily deduct that they know about the power of these friends but prefer the power of cash and carry. Katsinam should never be sold on the auction block. The sadness on Hopi is immeasurable. The art stolen under the Nazi regime is also in the process of being returned to their original owners families. Let the same rule be applied: return these sacred Katsinam to the Hopi nation. Do take action:
The sale is on April 12, 2013.
The people handling the sale for Néret-Minet are:

Cabinet Geneste

M. Eric GENESTE

31bis rue du Faubourg Montmartre

75009 PARIS

Tèl: 06.72.74.71.42

Email: erics@wanadoo.fr