January 2023 MBR The Native American Studies Shelf

The Native American Studies Shelf

Codex Taawa: Exploring the Cosmos of the Hopi
Gerald Dawavendewa
Rio Nuevo Publishers
PO Box 5250, Tucson, AZ 85703
www.rionuevo.com
https://www.fourthworlddesign.com/pages/gerald-a-a-dawavendewa
9781940322452, $19.95, HC, 104pp

https://www.amazon.com/Codex-Taawa-Exploring-Cosmos-Hopi/dp/B0B2BN98WW

Synopsis: With the publication of "Codex Taawa: Exploring the Cosmos of the Hopi", Native American artist Gerald Dawavendewa presents a series of illustrations inspired by ancient imagery that explores the cosmos of the Hopi people. Each piece highlights a part of the Hopi tradition, stories, or knowledge. The original artworks reproduced here were black and copper ink on handmade Nepalese Lhakpa paper and were inspired by the Codices of Mesoamericans. For the Hopi, the night sky is an astronomical calendar with all of its elements used to set ceremonies, rituals, seasons, events, and measures of time. The Hopi people have observed and measured the movements in the sky to create a complex guide to assist them with existing in this world, which we know as Tuuwaqatsi -- the Fourth World.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated and with a succinctly informative commentary for the Hopi images portrayed, "Codex Taawa: Exploring the Cosmos of the Hopi" is an inherently fascinating, impressive, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Native American Culture collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Gerald Dawavendewa (https://artofwhere.com/artists/gerald-dawavendewa) grew up in the Hopi village of Munqapi, located in the desert of Northern Arizona, and with Cherokee relatives in the deep woods of Oklahoma. With little outdoor lighting at Munqapi and none at his Cherokee grandparent's home, the night sky was overwhelming, with every space filled with stars, planets, meteors, the milky way, and the moon. In 1994, in partnership with NASA and the University of Arizona, Gerald was honored to be asked to create artwork depicting the Hopi cosmos, which was sent into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-59). Through his artwork, Gerald hopes to share his cultures, educate the public about the rich heritage of native nations, and promote a greater understanding of the indigenous world.

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