The Hopi people are an indigenous American spiritual group who emphasize the history of their ancestors rather than the history of archaeologists. The Hopi believe that their cultural landscape, or landforms relating to religious and historical affairs, bodies of water, and places of worship, include all places in which the Hopi have traveled or resided. Each cultural landscape holds significance to the Hopi people and they view them as the footprints, or “itaakuku,” of their tribe. Archaeologists, however, have a much less spiritual vision of the Hopi territory, rather than considering cultural landscapes, they prefer to observe archaeological sites to be true. An archaeological site is a space that contains physical evidence that a tribe once lived there, whether it be architecture, artifacts, or other various physical evidence. For some, it may simply be a conflict between religion and science, but for the Hopi people, their beliefs run much deeper than their history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The Hopi people rely on oral history and the words of their ancestors, these passed down stories are considered fact. This is a spiritual group of people who rely heavily on their history and ancestors. The Hopi believe that ancestral sites are still occupied by the spirits of their ancestors, and they care for these lands and revere them as if they were sanctuaries. A conflict of ideas arises when Hopi beliefs differ from those of archaeologists. The Hopi people believe that he went out and entered the world and traveled with the lands until he reached his holy land. This journey is important to the Hopi people, and they believe that the land that the Hopi walked on before arriving at their destination was also Hopi land and is considered sacred. Archaeologists and anthropologists, however, believe that most indigenous peoples originated from a land bridge that existed years ago connecting Asia and America. Based on the fossil record, they do not believe that indigenous people originated in America, because the oldest human remains discovered are more evolved than those found in Asia. However, these questions go far beyond the conflict of ideas. Near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the San Francisco Peaks, the Hopi people have worshiped and used the mountains as shrines to their ancestors for years. However, over the past thirty years, a ski resort was to be built on this land. Despite protests from the Hopi and even lawsuits against the Department of Agriculture for desecrating their land, the U.S. court system ruled in favor of the ski resort. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Hopi people, like many other indigenous peoples, have unique spiritual beliefs. The Hopi are strong in their faith in their ancestors and should be treated with respect like any other religious institution. Despite differences in beliefs about how the Hopi people arrived in America, ultimately, they were here first, and just because they shared their land with the United States does not mean that the United States United States should overstep their borders and allow recreation centers on their holy land. Indigenous peoples should have their beliefs respected just as much as more traditional religious institutions in America. Work cited Fischer, Howard. "THE (2009).