The invention of prophecy : continuity and meaning in Hopi Indian religion

Armin Geertz corrects what he sees as basic American and European tendencies to misrepresent non-Western cultures. Carefully documenting the historical role of prophecy in Hopi Indian religion, Geertz shows how prophecies about the end of the world have been created by the Hopi Traditionalist Movement and used by non-Indian movements, cults, and interest groups. Many of the seeming peculiarities of Hopi religion and culture have been invented, he says, by tourists, novelists, journalists, and scholars, and the millennial Traditionalist Movement has subtly co-authored European and American stereotypes of Indians. Geertz's richly detailed examples and persuasive arguments will be welcomed by all those interested in Native American studies, comparative religions, anthropology, and sociology. Prophecy And Ontology. The Analysis Of Hopi Prophecy. A Definition Of Religion. The Ethnohermeneutical Approach. On Meaning And Literary Style. Further Goals. A Note On Orthography --^ Pt. I. Prophecy And Discourse. 1. The Story Of The Mysterious Mr. Johnson. On The Burning Of Altars And The Advent Of The Apocalypse. The Awat'ovi Conspiracy. The Tiingavi Hypothesis. The Implications Of Burning Altars. 2. Hopi Prophecy Defined. An Indigenous Definition Of Hopi Prophecy. The Logic Of Prophetic Rhetoric. Prophecy As Social Strategy. From The Cradle To The Grave And Beyond (via The Brain). Cognition And Collective Misrepresentation. 3. The Narrative Context Of Hopi Prophecy. The Core Narrative. The Transformative Mechanisms Of Prophetic Media. The Narrative Contexts Of Hopi Prophecies. The Prose Narrative Context. Ritual Speech. The Ethnopoetic Narrative Context. Types Of Ritual Songs. The Prophetic Content Of Ritual Songs. 4. The Modern Prose Narrative Context Of Hopi Prophecy. Literacy Versus Orality: A Critique. Literacy And Acculturation. Literacy And Knowledge. Literacy And Textualization --^ Pt. Ii. Prophecy And Politics. 5. Hopi Prophecies In History. The Prophecies Of 1858-1958. Themes Of The 1960s, 1970s, And 1980s. Modern Prophecy And Collective Mental Health. 6. Interpreting Significant Objects: The Politics Of Hopi Apocalypse. Politics And Power In Hopi Iconography. Stone Tablets In Hopi Prophecy And History. Stone Tablets In Bear Clan History. Stone Tablets In Kookop Clan History. The Significance Of The Stone Tablets. 7. From Resistance To Messianism: The Politics Of Analysis And The Realities Of History. Theories Of Factionalism. Gossip And Information Management. The Politics Of Analysis. The Traditionalist Movement In Analytical Terms. From Resistance To Universalism. From Universalism To Messianism. 8. On Charisma And The Downfall Of A Prophet. Power Struggles In The Movement. The Flying Saucer Cult. The Question Of Charisma --^ Pt. Iii. Prophecy And Meaning. 9. The Legacy Of Prophecy Rock: On The Mutability Of Petroglyphs. The History Of Prophecy Rock. Thomas Banancya, Traditionalist Spokesman. Ecology And Mysticism. Traditionalists Become Traditional. Changing Audiences, Changing Meanings. 10. Hippie-sinom (hippie People) And The Crisis Of Meaning. Mutual Misrepresentation. The Pahaana Syndrome. A Typology Of Euro-american Interest Groups. The New Age -- Pt. Iv. Prophecy And Change. 11. A Model Of Narrative Tradition And Change. Factors Of Change. Factors Of Continuity. A Model Of Continuity And Change In Hopi Prophecy -- App. A.a Bilingual Version Of The Emergence Myth With Commentary -- App. B. Selected Versions Of The Emergence Myth; Narrated By Hostiles And Traditionalists -- App. C.a Catalogue And Typology Of Hopi Prophecies, 1858-1961 -- App. D. Letter To President Harry Truman From Representatives Of The Hopi Indian Empire -- App. E. Hopi Names And Terms With Corrected Orthography. Armin W. Geertz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 449-486) And Index. Through a careful documentation of the historical role of prophecy in Hopi Indian religion, this study aims to show how basic Indian beliefs about the end of the world have been misinterpreted by Western cultures.