Emory Sekaquaptewa
Encyclopedia
Emory Sekaquaptewa was a Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...

 leader and scholar, best known for his role in compiling the first dictionary of the Hopi language
Hopi language
Hopi is a Uto-Aztecan language spoken by the Hopi people of northeastern Arizona, USA, although today some Hopi are monolingual English speakers.The use of the language has gradually declined over the course of the 20th century...

.

Sekaquaptewa worked in many fields during his life. He was believed to be the first Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

 to graduate from West Point since the early 19th century , and later attended law school at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...

. Working with his brother, he developed new methods of jewelry production. He held various leadership positions within his own village of Kykotsmovi
Kykotsmovi Village, Arizona
Kykotsmovi Village is a census-designated place in Navajo County, Arizona, and the home of the Hopi tribal government...

, as well as positions on the Hopi Tribal Council and Hopi Tribal Court.

Sekaquaptewa was the "Cultural Editor" on the Hopi Dictionary Project, which produced the first Hopi dictionary: "Hopi Dictionary/Hopìikwa Lavàytutuveni: A Hopi–English Dictionary of the Third Mesa Dialect
Hopi Dictionary: Hopìikwa Lavàytutuveni
Hopi Dictionary : Hopìikwa Lavàytutuveni: A Hopi Dictionary of the Third Mesa Dialect with an English-Hopi Finder List and a Sketch of Hopi Grammar was published by the Dictionary Project at the Bureau of Applied Anthropology, University of Arizona...

". The 900-page dictionary contains entries on 30,000 words, as well as a sketch of Hopi grammar. This dictionary is credited with playing an important role in revitalizing the Hopi language.
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