This paper compares the ceremonial dances of two Native American tribes — the Hopi of the American Southwest and the Assiniboine of the Northern Plains — focusing on the Snake Dance and the Sun Dance, respectively. After profiling each tribe's history, economy, and way of life, the paper examines the structure, symbolism, and spiritual purposes of each ceremony. It identifies key similarities, such as elaborate preparation, ritual costuming, and spiritual significance, while highlighting major differences in purpose, duration, and the role of physical endurance. The analysis ultimately argues that both dances reflect the distinct environmental and cultural circumstances of their people while demonstrating shared values of tradition, spirituality, and cultural continuity.
The paper demonstrates sustained comparative analysis: rather than treating each tribe in isolation, it consistently returns to the other tribe as a point of reference. This technique allows the writer to explain why each ceremony takes the form it does — the Hopi's water-focused Snake Dance reflects their arid agricultural environment, while the Assiniboine Sun Dance reflects a nomadic, buffalo-hunting past — turning cultural description into genuine analytical argument.
The paper follows a classic compare-and-contrast structure: introduction establishing the two subjects, two background sections (one per tribe), two ceremony description sections (one per ceremony), a comparative analysis section identifying differences and similarities, and a conclusion linking both tribes to broader themes of Native American resilience and cultural preservation. This organization ensures readers understand each subject fully before the comparison begins.
This paper examines the ceremonial dances of two Native American tribes: the Hopi of the American Southwest and the Assiniboine of the Northern Plains. The Assiniboine engage in the Sun Dance as one of their major ceremonies, while the Hopi engage in the Snake Dance as one of theirs. These dance ceremonies share many commonalities, but they also contain major differences. The Hopi were largely agricultural, living on mesas devoid of much moisture, while the Assiniboine were hunters who subsisted on the buffalo of the plains. These differences shape the disparity in their ceremonies and provide important clues to each tribe's identity and way of life.
The Hopi Nation is one of the oldest Native American tribes in North America. They can trace their history in Northern Arizona, where their reservation is located, back to the 12th century, though they believe their history goes back much further. They are thought to have migrated to the desert Southwest from Central America and Mexico, and at one time they lived throughout the Southwest. Today, their reservation is located in Northeastern Arizona, lying partly in Navajo and Coconino counties, and is surrounded by the larger Navajo reservation. The Hopi live on a series of mesas — First, Second, and Third Mesa — and their villages are scattered across these elevated landforms. Their villages are extremely old and built in the style of ancient Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, with structures placed on top of one another three or four stories high. Some of the most ancient villages are off limits to outsiders. Old Oraibi, located on Third Mesa, is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited village in North America ("Hopi Tribe"). Many of these villages are extremely sacred to the Hopi and closed to visitors, while many of the newer villages welcome visitors and are home to galleries and arts and crafts stores that the Hopi operate throughout their reservation.
The Hopi live simple lives based on agriculture, a tradition they have maintained for centuries. Unlike nomadic tribes, they built permanent villages and did not travel in search of food. They have always been a peaceful people and continue to avoid conflict whenever possible. They still rely on agriculture, which might seem surprising given their location in the high desert. To survive, they developed a unique form of agriculture known as "dry farming." As one tribal source explains, "Instead of plowing their fields, Hopi traditional farmers place 'wind breakers' in the fields at selected intervals to retain soil, snow, and moisture. They also have perfected special techniques to plant seeds in arid fields. As a result, they succeed in raising corn, beans, squash, melons, and other crops in a landscape that appears inhospitable to farming" ("Hopi Tribe"). Many Hopi today live much as their ancestors did in the 12th century. They have modern conveniences such as electricity, but they still farm, live in their ancient villages, and perform their ancient rituals. Some Hopi have left the reservation and live and work in nearby towns.
The Hopi are also celebrated craftspeople. They produce decorative pottery, silverwork, jewelry, basketry, and perhaps their most well-known creations — Kachina dolls, traditionally hand-carved from cottonwood roots. These elaborately dressed dolls depict many of the characters that appear in traditional native dances and represent the gods and goddesses the Hopi believe watch over them. Tourism is a significant part of the Hopi economy today, and several galleries and cooperatives located on the reservation sell their crafts to the public.
The Assiniboine tribe is a Sioux-related tribe that inhabits Northern Montana and parts of Canada. Today, the Fort Belknap Reservation in Northern Montana serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Assiniboine nation. In the past, the Assiniboine were nomadic hunters who followed the buffalo across the northern plains for their sustenance. Their tribal source states, "The Assiniboine were typically large game hunters, dependent on the buffalo for a considerable part of their diet. They used buffalo hides for clothing and receptacles, and lived in hide tipis" ("Fort Belknap"). Today, they are largely agriculturally based: "The main industry is agriculture, consisting of small cattle ranches, raising alfalfa hay for feed and larger dry land farms" ("Fort Belknap"). In Canada, they are called the Stoney, meaning "those who cook with stones," because they used to heat stones in order to boil water for cooking. Their language is a derivative of the Dakota (Sioux) language, and it is believed they came to the area from the Minnesota region further east. They call themselves the Nakota. They did not have domestic horses, but they kept domestic dogs in their camps and sometimes used them to carry items or pull sleds. In the past, they were aligned with the Cree nation and fought against the Gros Ventre; today, however, they share their reservation with the Gros Ventre.
Today, their main business besides agriculture is a tribal meat-packing company and smokehouse. They sell a variety of meat products, mostly bison-based. The tribe maintains a herd of 600 bison that they rely on for income. They suffer from high rates of unemployment — as much as 75% at certain times of the year — and are one of the poorest Native communities in Montana. Tourism is almost nonexistent, and the tribe continually seeks ways to improve its economic position and help its members survive.
These two tribes and their ceremonial dances illustrate the bonds that tie the Native American community together. They have all faced hardships, persecution, and indignities, but they have managed to survive. Many tribes today are thriving through good management, while others continue to struggle. Nevertheless, all continue to celebrate their traditions and uniqueness by perpetuating their customs and rituals. Both the Hopi and the Assiniboine recognize the importance of maintaining their culture and way of life, and both understand that even as their circumstances have changed, that change need not silence their cultural identity and values.
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