Finding Aids to Individual Collections in the Archive of Folk Culture

THE DIANA COHEN HOPI RELIGION COLLECTION

AFC 1978/003

Compiled by Michelle Forner

Library of Congress,
Washington DC
September 1994

CONTENT SUMMARY

Access and Reproduction: Listening access to the collection is unrestricted. Duplication or publication is permitted only with permission of the collector and may be governed by copyright and other restrictions.

Key Subjects: Bird song; clown; Hopi dance; interviews; kachina; Kokopelli; Longhair song; Morning song; music; religion; rites and ceremonies; Snake clan; Snake dance; Supai song

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection consists of one 90-minute audiorecording of songs and discussion about aspects of Hopi religion. It was made by Diana Cohen in the spring of 1974 in Second Mesa, Arizona. It documents an informal gathering of families at the home of Ferrell Secakuku, song writer, snake dancer, and owner of the Second Mesa store.

While Secakuku demonstrates different chants and dance songs accompanied by drumming, he translates phrases and explains symbology (explanations are not always clearly audible). In addition, an unidentified person plays banjo and sings several extraneous song fragments as well as one bird song in English. A question and answer session follows during which Secakuku primarily explains his experiences in kiva ceremonies, as a kachina dancer, clown, and member of the snake clan. He also recounts some Hopi origin stories.