Current Watch Site

Perched on a narrow edge of the First Mesa, Walpi is the iconic village of the Hopi tribe and the mother village of eleven occupied Hopi settlements. Founded in the thirteenth century in a cleft of the mesa formation, Walpi was moved to its current location as a defensive measure after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The village was built using hand-trimmed sandstone and earth, and grew organically over the centuries. The roofs consist of vigas (structural beams), latillas (branches used as sheathing), and a capping layer of willow twigs and earth. The walls are still hand-plastered by local women. During the 1880s and 1890s, the inhabitants began migrating to more contemporary houses in the nearby village of Polacca, and the permanent population of Walpi slowly dwindled in the twentieth century. Many Polacca families retain ownership of their houses in Walpi, but they are now used predominantly for public ceremonies.

Walpi is a significant Native American site that represents traditional Hopi architecture and identity. Over the years weathering, insufficient maintenance, and incompatible interventions have compromised the integrity of the site. The Hopi community would like to restore the site using traditional materials and methods, and implement a preservation plan that will preserve Walpi’s architecture, promote the site as an international heritage destination, and provide economic opportunities for the community.

Download a 2012 Watch poster of this site (see download instructions).

UPDATE

In November 2011, members of the Walpi Hopi community participated in a clean-up effort with the help of WMF. 25 community members collected 200 bags of trash and debris from around the mesa. In February 2012, a fire broke out in the Coyote Council House. The fire damaged the roof of the council house, which is located above a covered passageway in the village. February 2012

IN WMF JOURNAL

• Walpi-WMF Partnership Kicks Off with Cleanup
  November 14, 2011