Emory Sekaquaptewa

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Emory Sekaquaptewa (1928 – December 14, 2007) was a Hopi leader and scholar, best known for his role in compiling the first dictionary of the Hopi language.

Sekaquaptewa worked in many fields during his life. He was believed to be the first Native American to attend West Point, and later attended law school at the University of Arizona. Working with his brother, he developed new methods of jewelry production. He held various leadership positions within his own village of Kykotsmovi, as well as positions on the Hopi Tribal Council and Hopi Tribal Court.^[1]

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". 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.^{[citation needed]}