Hotevilla-Bacavi, AZ

Perched high on Third Mesa within the Hopi Reservation, Hotevilla-Bacavi brings together two neighboring villages with a deeply rooted history. Founded in the early 1900s by Hopi traditionalists from nearby Oraibi, the community has long maintained a strong commitment to preserving its heritage, customs, and independent way of life. Today, life on the mesa moves at a quiet, steady pace, surrounded by sweeping high-desert views and generations-old farming traditions.

Daily life centers around close family ties and the Hotevilla-Bacavi Community School, which serves as a key gathering spot for local families. The school weaves Hopi language and cultural traditions directly into everyday classroom lessons, keeping ancestral knowledge strong for the next generation. It remains a close-knit, self-reliant community where historic customs and modern tribal education work hand in hand.