ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Hopi model for their own society more closely and see the relevance of alliance and descent theory for an understanding of its characteristics and its development over time. While alliance theory has developed primarily from the study of societies with prescriptive marriage systems, it is highly probable that it may have a wider relevance. The Hopi model for their society centers around a traditional "mother" village, a "colony" village, and a "guard" or protector village, and this pattern is repeated in smaller compass on both First and Second Mesas. The Hopi household is composed conceptually of a line of women who look to their husbands for economic support and to their brothers for ritual support. In Hopi society alliance through preferential marriage and exchange was not utilized to perpetuate the status hierarchy as formulated in Hopi theory.
