Mesa Media Inc

Who We Are:     Mesa Media Inc. is a Hopi non-profit dedicated to revitalizing the Hopi language. We fulfill our mission by creating and producing Hopi language learning materials by Hopi people for Hopi people in Hopi communities. We also provide hands-on learning workshops to encourage an environment where students can succeed in becoming fluent Hopi speakers. Mesa Media Inc.'s goal is to help Hopi people speak Hopi in daily life.

Our Materials:     All of our CDs, DVDs and books are rooted in the Hopi teachings that guide Hopi people in maintaining their biocultural connection to the landscape. Ms. Anita Poleahla develops most of our language materials, but she also works with Hopi language instructors in the community to share their knowledge with the public. The late Ferrell Secakuku composed most of the songs on our first three music CDs.

Since 2003, Mesa Media Inc. has produced four music CDs, four Hopi language lesson CDs, two DVDs, three puzzlebooks, a Hopi history booklet/ audio CD, a Handbook for Newcomers to Hopi, and a Hopi Alphabet Coloring Book (see photos above). Mesa Media Inc. is unique because our materials are among the only resources available for people who seek to study the Hopi language. We are continually developing and producing Hopi language resources based in Hopi oral tradition for a diverse audience of Hopi and non-Hopi people. Over half of our printed materials are donated each year.

Our Workshops: Mesa Media also sponsors "Back-To-School" workshops to share Hopi language materials with teachers and teaching assistants. Educators need curriculum and guidance to incorporate Hopi language into Hopi classrooms. Teachers in neighboring towns with Hopi students also seek resources. This workshop will provide materials, training and opportunities for partnership.

Our Long Term Vision:     Mesa Media Inc.’s long term vision is to get Hopi people speaking their language. We want to hear Hopi people of all ages speaking Hopi in daily life. We want to see Hopi people in their fields each spring planting the same seeds that were saved by their ancestors. We want young Hopi people to have pride, knowing that it is their responsibility to pass on the stories and teachings to the next generation.

Our Founders:    In 2004, fluent Hopi speakers Anita Poleahla and the late Ferrell Secakuku founded Mesa Media Inc. because they believe that all Hopi people deserve the opportunity to understand the richness of the Hopi language and its teachings. In Hopi thought, the continuation of all cultural beliefs and practices depends on people’s ability to speak Hopi.

State Of Hopi Language:     According to a 1998 survey with 200 Hopi people, less than 5% of children under 18 years of age speak fluent Hopi. This may be the last generation of Hopi people with the opportunity to learn firsthand all that is encoded in the language about Hopi crops and wild plants, Hopi beliefs and the system of food harvest, storage and preparation.  Right now, there are Hopi elders and fluent speakers with all of this unique knowledge that need to be engaged in teaching the younger generations. Mesa Media Inc. works closely with Hopi community members to incorporate their teachings into all of our materials and to reconnect them with Hopi youth during our workshops.

Our Name:     Our name Mesa Media Inc. reflects our strategy to use media and technology to make Hopi teachings attractive to modern learners who come from the three Hopi Mesas.

View materials and events at www.mesamedia.org