1. Home
 / Modified may 22, 2015 9:32 a.m.

Hopi Protest Another Katsina Auction in Paris

Tribe demands what it calls sacred items be returned 'to their rightful place on Hopi lands.'

white ogre katsina spot
Courtesy of Andrew Coriz

Listen:

A Paris auction house is planning another sale of what the Hopi consider sacred items June 1, leading the Arizona Native American tribe to demand the items' return.

The Hopi call them “katsina friends” and treat them as living beings or spirits. Seven katsina friends, or headdresses, currently appear on the EVE auction house website. The catalogue indicates the items are worth $3,000 to $13,000.

The tribe has said the headdresses should not have a commercial value and should not be hanging above someone’s mantel.

Hopi leaders have asked Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake to enlist federal agencies to help return the items to the Hopi people.

“We need to bring all our katsina friends home to their rightful place on Hopi lands," Hopi Chairman Herman Honanie said in a statement. "They belong on Hopi and must be returned.”

MORE: Arizona, Arts and Life, Indigenous Affairs, News
By posting comments, you agree to our
AZPM encourages comments, but comments that contain profanity, unrelated information, threats, libel, defamatory statements, obscenities, pornography or that violate the law are not allowed. Comments that promote commercial products or services are not allowed. Comments in violation of this policy will be removed. Continued posting of comments that violate this policy will result in the commenter being banned from the site.

By submitting your comments, you hereby give AZPM the right to post your comments and potentially use them in any other form of media operated by this institution.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona