PS: In 1951, the Hopi's had to battle the Arizona State Fair

March 18, 2017

In 1951 the theme of the Arizona state fair was "Arizona Indians," and they wanted two huge Indian symbols to be included. One, "an Apache Devil Dancer," and the other a "Hopi Neman (Kachina)." Over the main entrance was a Hopi rain cloud symbol.

365 days, American history, Atlanta Braves, AIM, American Indian Movement, assimilation, Andrew Jackson, ally, aboriginal, American Indian, Buck, butt-hurt, bullying, braves, Cleveland Indians, comic books, Christopher Columbus, columbus day, Cherokee, civil rights, casino, cowboy and Indian, cowboys, crying Indian, changers, change the mascot, cultural appropriation, Clarke Indians, debunk, digger Indian, dream catcher, dime novels, Donald Trump, ethnic slur, frybread, first nations, Florida State, Feathers and Paint, genocide, Geronimo, Hiawatha, headdress, high school mascots, half-breed, historical truth, Indian braves, Indian chief, indigenous, Indianz, Indian chief, injun, Indian country, Indian blood, Indian Princess, Indian mascots, Indians, Indian heart, keep the name, Keyport Red Raiders, Lancaster Redskins, mascots, Mama What's an Indian, Native Truth, native news, native nations, Native American ally, Native American mascots, noble Indian, Native heart, NDN, Order of Red Men, Native American, old west, on-line bullying, Pocahontas, Pilgrim, Paint and Feathers, peace pipe, powwow, politically correct, part Indian, part Indian, papoose, Pocahottie, Redskins, Red Men, racism, racist, Red raiders, Red Man, red face, reservations, squaw, stereotypes, scalping, Standing Bear, Sioux, snowflakes, school mascots, savage, Sitting Bull, Seminoles, Terri Jean, treaty, treaty rights, totem, tomahawk, reservation, trail of tears, textbooks, tribes, tribal nations, Thanksgiving, trolls, Tammany, Tecumseh, voting rights, Washington Redskins, wild west, walking the red road, wounded knee, war bonnet, Wahoo, Wild westing, warpath, warriors, wannabe, Fennimore Cooper, picturesque savage, bloodthirsty, Trail of Tears, mythbusters, Great Spirit, North American Indian, amerindian, moving-picture, blood and thunder, playing Indian, stoic, Native American Heritage Month, Indian Day, protests, Carlisle, Indian problem, genocide, white privilege, manifest destiny, chieftain, Soxalexis, Lone Star Dietz, Standing Bear,

1951, Nov 1 Arizona Republic

"The huge Kachina doll was soon the center of a controversy between Indian experts and the Indians themselves. The Hopis, whose god and the doll symbolizes, said it should bear a spruce branch in its arms, instead of an arrow." (Source: 1951, Nov 1 Arizona Republic )

1951, Sept 11 Arizona Republic

Thomas Banyneya of Oraibi, spokesman for the group, said the bow was “absolutely foreign” to this particular kachina, the most sacred of all, the symbol of harvest, harmony, peace and plenty… (They want it removed and replaced with a spruce branch, symbolic of harmony and a good harvest…) Fair officials said it was never their intention to aggravate or insult the Hopis. … Banyneya said to the traditionally peaceful Hopi, the placing of a boy in the hands of the Neman kachina is as contradictory and out of place “as it would be to place a tommy gun, an A-bomb or a flame-thrower in the hands of a figure of Jesus Christ.” … State fair officials have quoted Virgil Hubert, Phoenix artist who designed the big figure, as stating the bow was not an improper implement in the hands of the Neman kachina. (Source: 1951, Nov 2 Arizona Daily Sun )

Fair officials changed the 60-foot statue, according to the Hopi's wishes.

1951, Nov 25 St Louis Post Dispatch

The artist, Virgil Hubert, though, continued his claim that HIS version was correct. I guess, that means, he believed the Hopi's were wrong... about their own God.

They met with Governor Howard Pyle, and thanked fair officials, for the quick manner in which the complaint was resolved.