“Nahongvita!” which means “Run Strong!” in Hopi, is as cheer of encouragement, much like, “Good work, keep it up!” During every run on Hopi, whether a community fun run, a competitive race, a ceremonial activity, or a fund-raising event, the spectators and spotters lining the trail always yell, “Nahongvita!” as the runners run by, along with “Askwali!” or “Kwah-kwah!” as a thank-you, congratulations, and affirmation. That kind of support is one of the most enjoyable things about running here.
Prior to moving here, I did not expect running in races to rank among my top athletic pursuits, but I have discovered that running has been a wonderful way to become a part of the community. Running events are the times when I most feel the sense of the Hopi community - people seem delighted when I show up to everything from races to fundraisers to fitness classes, and they welcome me as one of their own. The enthusiasm of people of all ages and abilities to share in the running tradition is contagious - and so I have embraced all these activities as a way of life for me on Hopi.
Rather than try to explain how significant running is to the Hopi, I will let this excerpt from the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, featured on the website for the local Paatuaqatsi (“Water is Life”) Run, explain in its own words:
Furthermore, the Hopi High School boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams have been dominant, even featured on ESPN for their unprecedented streak of State Championship success:
The assistant coach featured in the article above, Juwan, hosts the
Hopi 10k in Oraibi every year. It’s a tough race, descending from the mesa top to the sandy trails and dirt roads below, before ascending the mesa back up to the Village, feet slogging through the deep sand on the long climb. One really appreciates the unforgiving terrain and vastness of the land while running across it on foot! The race was this last weekend – and was my inspiration to (finally!) share a little more about life on Hopi.
Below are a few photos from some of the races that I’ve done here. It has been delightful to connect to this place and this community in this way, but for anyone who asks if I’m a serious runner, I laugh and tell them, no, that would be my ultra-marathon-running brother – the one who is sponsored and featured in magazines (
see page 20 of Endurance News!) – but he does give me some pretty nice (and well-researched) gear - look at those hot pink trail shoes! (And check out his blog
https://steeplesandsunglasses.wordpress.com/.)
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| Hopi 10k in Oraibi, Third Mesa, Hopi Reservation, August 2018, with Jolette. |
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| Accepting the prize for third-place female - a nifty jacket! |
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| 100 Mile Club Lunar Run, Hopi Veterans Memorial Center, May 2018 - Jolette decked us out with glow sticks so we could be the coolest runners there! 100 Mile Club is an annual event in which participants log their miles for 12 weeks, aiming for 100 miles (or 200, or 300...), and featuring fun runs in a different Village every week, widely attended by the community! |
I even made the front page of the Hopi newspaper at the starting line of one of the 100 Mile Club events this year:
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| Tuba City Half Marathon, Navajo Nation, AZ, April 2018 - second place female for the inaugural event |
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| Birthday preparation with Aunt Jan for the Phoenix Women's Half (and some help from Mom and USPS), January 2018 - second place finish! Nahongvita! |
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| Monument Valley Half Marathon, Navajo Nation, AZ, November 2017 - second place for my age group |
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| McDowell Mountain Ragnar Trail Run, with my 8-person team - Together we ran 123 miles in 24 hours, in support of UNite to End Violence - Native Women's Empowerment, a local nonprofit organization on Hopi to spread awareness of and support the victims of domestic violence - Thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser! - Scottsdale, AZ, November 2017 |
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| Course map for the Taawaki Trail Run, Hopi Veterans Memorial Center, October 2017 |
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| Hopi 10k, August 2017 - second place in my age group - I improved both my time and my standing in 2018! |
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| Running for Life 10k, Steamboat, Navajo Nation, AZ, June 2017 - I won second place in my age group, and Keith won third place in his, so we both won snazzy shirts! |
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| Unique third place age group prize for the Sacred Mountain Prayer Run in Flagstaff, AZ, June 2017 - My Navajo coworkers explained all the symbolism of the art to me. |
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| My very first half-marathon - the Warrior Run in Kayenta, Navajo Nation, AZ, April 2017. Sherry and Thelma from the Hopi Health Care Center talked me into this one, and I had no idea what to expect. First place female! Should have quit while I was ahead! Haha. |
