“We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For” is a text frequently called “The Hopi Elders Prophecy,” widely attributed to a gathering of Hopi elders on June 8, 2000, at Oraibi, Arizona, though some sources indicate it was published earlier in New Age magazines in the early 1990s and may appear in The Seventh Generation: Native Voices Speak Out for the Mother Earth by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden (1993). The prophecy’s origins connect to a longer tradition: many Hopi prophecies speaking of significant challenges humanity will face have been passed down through generations, kept secret for years until after World War II and the use of atomic bombs, when elders recognized the need to share these sacred teachings with the wider world. Four Hopi men were chosen to carry this message, including Thomas Banyacya, who took this responsibility seriously and, after years of effort, delivered a message about the prophecies to the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.
Why it matters: It offers both unflinching acknowledgment of crisis and practical, grounded guidance for navigating profound change—not through struggle but through sacred action and celebration. The teaching that “the time for the lone wolf is over” and the call to gather, know your garden, know your water, create community, and be in right relation speaks directly to what resilience research confirms: social connection determines whether communities survive disruption. The image of a river flowing fast, with the instruction to let go of the shore, push into the middle, keep eyes open, and celebrate those beside us offers orientation for times when holding onto the old brings only suffering. The closing—”We are the ones we’ve been waiting for”—invites agency rather than waiting for rescue.
A Hopi Elder Speaks
“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour. And there are things to be considered . . .
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.”
Then he clasped his hands together, smiled, and said, “This could be a good time!”
“There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are torn apart and will suffer greatly.
“Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above water. And I say, see who is in there with you and celebrate. At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, Least of all ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
“The time for the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
