KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. (AP) — When traditional clowns enter Hopi village plazas as part of Kachina ceremonial dances, they often ridicule and chastise the audience, behaving in a way that serves as an example of what not to do.
That's how Hopi tribal member Tommy Canyon views the actions of tribal Chairman Ben Nuvamsa and Vice Chairman Todd Honyaoma Sr., who have been clashing for much of the time Nuvamsa has been in office. Nuvamsa was sworn into his post in March 2007.
The tangle has led to a suspended appellate court, raised allegations of fraud and disrespect for traditional Native American leaders and concerns over whether the northern Arizona Indian tribe can settle the matter without the intervention of the federal government.
If the two sides agree on anything, it's that the political shake-up is unprecedented among a people whose name means "peaceful."
"If it was me, chairman running this, I would keep business business and keep play at the playground, not at the council chamber," said Canyon, a store manager who has served as a clown. "Keep the clowning in the plaza."
8,000 Hopi spread among 12 villages on three mesas
Kachinas, who represent spirituality for the Hopis, are believed to make their homes at the San Francisco Peaks — a mountain sacred to many American Indian tribes. They emerge from the mountain at certain times during the year and dance in ceremonies at which clowns entertain onlookers while the Kachinas aren't dancing.
About 8,000 Hopis live among 12 villages at three mesas that rise thousands of feet above the surrounding desert. Each of the Hopi villages governs itself. But over time, some have remained traditional while others became more progressive with a governor or board of directors.
The Tribal Council is much like a city government in that the chairman is a member of the council and presides over meetings but does not vote except to break a tie. But not all villages, which are autonomous, send representatives to the council, which some believe was forced on the tribe by the federal government.
In 1936, the Hopis adopted a constitution through the Indian Reorganization Act [1] that reflects a mix of theocracy and democracy in their government.
System of governance called ill-suited to tradition
Don Wharton, a senior attorney at the Native American Rights Fund [2], said tribes that adopted a constitution under the act are dealing with the same fundamental problem: "a framework for governance that didn't reflect who they are.
"There's nothing inherently wrong with the structure," he said. "The structure works. It's just whether or not it's a fit."
At Hopi villages that are considered traditional, a kikmongwi — a traditionally ordained chief whose position is passed down based on clan hierarchy - is the recognized leader. That person holds specific roles under the constitution, such as settling civil issues at each one's respective village, certifying Tribal Council representatives and alerting the council to disputes among villages.
That there is no distinction between church and state in the Hopi government has led to some struggles among those who want the government to be more progressive and democratic and those who hold on to the traditional form of government.
Disagreement over tie between religion and politics
Kikmongwis often are seen as the ultimate authority among the Hopi people. Others believe the religious leaders should be limited in the political arena.
The kikmongwi of First Mesa and other leaders have been central to the latest effort to remove Nuvamsa from office, contending the chairman attempted to overthrow the traditional form of government by allowing lawmakers to be seated on the Tribal Council who were not properly certified.
"Because of the positions they hold, they generally have maintained their humility and have not opted to be public with any issues," said Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, director of the tribe's cultural preservation office [3]. "This is the first time that this has happened at their level that I'm aware (of)."
The council agreed to suspend Nuvamsa's authorities as chairman at the request of the kikmongwi of First Mesa and others, who sent a letter to lawmakers Monday asking that Nuvamsa be removed from office for "serious neglect of duty."
Chairman in name only, he contests his suspension
Nuvamsa remains chairman in name only and is contesting the suspension. Both his and Honyaoma's terms run through December 2009.
Nuvamsa said he believes the council, unsuccessful in removing him last year in a dispute over whether he met residency requirements for the job, is abusing the traditional leadership and trumping up charges against him in a desperate attempt to oust him.
If the Tribal Council truly respected the traditional leaders, it would not exploit them, he said.
"A village kikmongwi is not supposed to be a political animal," he said.
Leadership struggle comes at a bad time
The political chaos comes at a time when Hopi lawmakers are approaching a deadline to draft the tribe's annual budget and the federal government is set to make a decision on an environmental impact statement for a coal company that could tie up the tribe's resources.
Some Hopi lawmakers have said they cannot sit idly by and watch Nuvamsa turn the government into what they contend had been shaping up to be a dictatorship under his control — a charge that Nuvamsa has made against Honyaoma as well.
Honyaoma contends Nuvamsa, a former U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs [4] superintendent, has twisted the meaning of the tribal constitution to benefit himself, and disregarded the policies and procedures of the Tribal Council.
"Despite what's going on," he said, "we need to move the government forward."
Bureau of Indian Affairs has been invited in
Nuvamsa has asked the BIA to step in, and some council members believe it's an option for solving the dispute. Hopi agency BIA Superintendent Wendell Honanie said this week that the agency is aware of the situation but has no plans to intervene.
Meanwhile, the split among the Hopi leaders has led many tribal members to take sides. High school students even pick sides and bicker like gangs, said Canyon, who sits on the Hopi High School board.
"It's real scary, and people are being real careful who they talk to and how they talk," he said. "Everybody is careful what they say to each other, and that makes it uneasy."
Kuwanwisiwma said there is a lot of discussion among tribal members about whether the Hopi way of life, which promotes harmony, compassion, unity and most of all, humility, is being upheld.
"It's my personal hope that we can work toward a common cause, we can work toward reconciliation," he said. "That's really the spirit of the constitution, to try to bring the villages together and face the future as one people."