In the forward to this volume, Harry James writes, “‘Once Upon a Time’ is a favorite way to begin the legends of the white man. HALIKSAI is the ‘Once Upon a Time’ of the Hopi.” This collection of legends, as told to James, was published in 1940, most of the stories appearing previously in the pages of The Desert Magazine. Its 28 pages include legends like “The Journey Up From The Underworld,” “The Turtle and the Coyote,” and “Why Peaches Are Sweet.” They’re accompanied by black & white illustrations from water-colors by Mootzka, the Hopi artist, and line cuts from drawings by Don Louis Percival.

HALIKSAI joins a growing collection of Indigenous-related printed materials in the Society’s collections.

This book has been adopted.