From master Hopi woodcarver Mavasta Honyouti, the story of his grandfather’s experience at a residential boarding school and how he returned home to pass their traditions down to future generations.

When Mavasta Honyouti was a boy, he would go with his grandfather to their cornfield, watching him nurture every plant and whittle beautiful carvings into paako root with his pocketknife – carvings Mavasta would later learn to do himself.

But Mavasta would often wonder: what was his kwa’a like when he was a boy? And one day, he heard the story.

Mavasta’s grandfather, like many Native American children across the country in the late 19th and early 20th century, was forced to leave his Hopi reservation as a child and go to a residential boarding school far away. There, the government cut his hair, punished him for speaking his native language, and gave him a new name. But Mavasta's grandfather never forgot who he was – or where he came from – and he tried to escape again and again. Finally, he made it back to their reservation.

In later years, Mavasta’s kwa’a chose a simple life, taking great care of his family just like he took great care of his plants. His son and later his grandson became acclaimed Hopi katsina woodcarvers, just like him. Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story is a deeply personal book – written in both English and Hopi. It is an unforgettable testament to one man rising above a painful piece of history to keep the light of his family and culture alive.

"This powerful tale is a much-needed reminder that Indigenous peoples’ stories, despite being threaded with trauma, are marked by defiance and pride. A stirring tribute to Hopi culture, language, and resistance.”–Kirkus (starred)

Marilyn Parra

Voice