How the World Moves: The Odyssey of an American Indian Family

"Hunt never had the permission of the pueblo to impart any Acoma sacred information to anyone, much less to the Bureau of Ethnology for publication. The pueblo has always considered this publication by the Bureau of Ethnology to be a fundamental breach of trust by the United States. It is a glaring example of the unfortunate and ugly incidents of the late 19th century involving archaeologists and anthropologists, personified by the likes of Frank Cushing at Zuni.

The Origin Myth of the Pueblo of Acoma is the intellectual property of the pueblo, not the property of the United States, and surely not the property of Hunt or Nabokov to reproduce. The pueblo today has grave uncertainty as to Hunt’s actual knowledge about Acoma beliefs, as show more he left the pueblo at an early age to attend school, and thereafter chose not to participate in the activities where traditional knowledge is passed on to the younger generations.

This concern is strengthened by the many inaccuracies in the book. It is a product of the complete disregard and disrespect for the community, which Nabokov’s book builds upon. It is not, as your article suggests, a book for the pueblo youth to learn about the Acoma origin beliefs. Instead, it is a modern-day example of sensationalized disrespect and disregard of tribal culture, community and sovereignty."

Fred S. Vallo Sr. is governor of Acoma Pueblo. show less