Dennis Numkena

Hopi Snake Pit

Dennis Numkena was a Native American (Hopi Tribe) architect. He was the first Native person to become a registered architect in his home-state of Arizona. Numkena’s architectural training and general interest in the built environment influenced his artistic practice. He often used architectural visual language to depict Hopi culture and symbols. Hopi Snake Pit (1975) is painted in the two-dimensional style of a structural blueprint. The work depicts a “kiva,” a circular, underground ceremonial chamber used by Pueblo people in the Southwest. The kiva is used for certain Hopi rituals such as the “Snake Dance.”