In 1893, Mennonite missionaries settled at Oryavi, one of the key settlements for the Hopi. The result of increased missionary efforts on Hopi land led to the Orabi split: dividing the tribe into "traditionalists" and "progressives", a division that still exists today.
Female roles
include grinding cornmeal, cooking,
and making pottery
The Hopi tribe is thought of as a Matrilineal society, meaning that a man marries into a woman’s family.
Hopi execute this through use of the clan system, each made up of an extended family. The clan shares within its members a portion of land passed down through each women of the family, making the women the primary "landowners".
-Starting in the early 1900s, Hopi men were employed by the Mennonites and paid an hourly wage to help build a chapel and housing, as well as translate scripture into Hopi language to aid in conversion.
-Diane Notarianni argues that due to the bias of jobs being offered to men rather than women caused a shift, placing “control not in the hands of her brother’s land but her husband’s income. The home, traditionally ‘owned’ by the women, could now be controlled by her husband.”
Male roles include tending crop on the women's land, disciplining children, and weaving.
They have a prominent role in religion, dancing in ceremonies and carving Katsina dolls.
Today
Traditional and progressive tribe segments still exist today, however, it is not a clear divide. Hopi have been thought of as successful at holding on to traditional ways, but have merged them with more modern ways of living as well. The Hopi way still remains today, despite socioeconomic shift.