Preserving Hopi Language & Culture
for the Next Generation
Ita Hopi Lavayi
Our Hopi
Language
Ita Hopi Lavayi (IHL) is a Hopi language and culture project founded and led by Debra Onsae. Terra BIRDS Advisory Board Member. Deb is a member of the Hopi Tribe and is a Hopi language instructor, teacher, and former Native American Academic Advisory for the Flagstaff Unified School District.
Hopi sinom (people) have inhabited the Colorado Plateau for thousands of years. Hopi women have played an important role in ceremonial and everyday life in their communities, though their stories and contributions have not been as well documented as men's. Additionally, Hopi language and knowledge is not passed down by elders to young people as much as it was with previous generations.
“We are a small community of people trying to enhance the lives of young people for our people to know the importance of granting programs to enable us to have our visions come true.”
History of the Project
Ita Hopi Lavayi was founded to directly address the gap in knowledge with the intent of documenting women's role and responsibilities, teaching young women, and working in partnership with organizations like Terra BIRDS, to bring Hopi language and culture into classrooms and gardens in Northern Arizona. IHL believes that Indigenous people have the right to revitalize, use, develop, and transmit to future generations their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, architecture, writing systems and literature. IHL is beginning the third phase of their work—the Women's Path of Life. IHL will follow the Hopi agricultural calendar, teaching Hopi language and culture via Hopi women's activities, including: seed keeping, gardening, and culture roles and responsibilities within their families and community.
IHL has collaborated with Terra BIRDS since 2018 to provide culturally relevant lessons and connections for Native and non-Native students in our School Gardens and BIRDS@Work programs. Deb has led Hopi gardening, seed saving, harvesting, food processing, and cooking classes in partnership with Terra BIRDS. Terra BIRDS fiscally sponsored IHL from 2018-2019 and again starting towards the end of 2025. The Arizona Ethnobotanical Research Association (AERA) fiscally sponsored IHL from 2020 to mid-2025.
