April 7, 2025
New Activities Added
march 18, 2025
good morning and thank you for visiting the Mesa media website. We hope you are well and we like to share with you a few new activities that we have developed for your use in your home and classroom, in order to practice learning the Hopi language.
Hopi Clans
March 10, 2025
Hello everyone and thank you for visiting our website. Today we are sharing with you a useful document on Hopi clans. Please feel free to share and teach your family about your clans.
Free Valentine’s Day Download
Hello and welcome to the latest free Valentine’s Day download from Mesa Media, Inc.
Valentine’s Day
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day and the many forms of love it honors, it’s important to reflect on the significance of love not only in our hearts but also in the language we speak. For the Hopi people, language is not just a means of communication; it is a vital thread that connects generations, preserves culture, and strengthens the bond within their community.
The Hopi language, a key part of the Uto-Aztecan language family, is a cornerstone of Hopi identity. It is deeply embedded in our history, traditions, and daily life. The Hopi language is sacred—it carries stories, ceremonies, and teachings passed down through centuries.
Valentine’s Day, traditionally associated with expressions of affection, can be a time for us to also express our commitment to preserving our languages and cultures. The Hopi language, like many Indigenous languages, is facing challenges, but it remains a symbol of resilience and strength. Revitalizing and preserving the Hopi language ensures that future generations can continue to experience and share Hopi words.
This Valentine’s Day, let us remember the love for our heritage, our languages, and our communities. Just as we express affection for one another, let’s show love for the Hopi language by supporting efforts to teach and pass it on, ensuring that it flourishes for years to come.
Askwali/Kwa’kway (Thank you) for your support in helping preserve this precious gift of language and culture. Please feel free to share these free downloads with others.
Ouch! That’s My Bill
December 21, 2024
English translation of the story “Ana! pam imotsovu”.
On the south side of the village of Old Oraibi lived a coyote. He was always hunting or looking for something to eat. At times he would get lucky and find things at the nearby landfill, which was known to the people of the village as Qötsaptsomo (Ash Hill). One day as he was wondering around the area, he come to a small brown wren who was jumping around keeping himself happy.
The coyote asked him if they could be friends, and the wren agreed. After they had become friends, they did not know what to do, so they decided to play hid-and-seek. The wren told the coyote to close his eyes and count from one to twenty, then off he flew to hide.
As soon as the coyote finished counting in his deep voice, he went out to look for his friend, the wren. When he did not find the wren, he decided to look for something to eat, so he went to Ash Hill. When he got to Ask Hill, he found a nice sharp needle. “Oh great! I found a needle, now I can have my grandmother sew my little blanket for me.” He then pulled it out and it spoke to him! “Ouch, ouch, ouch, that’s my bill, that’s my bill!” Then the wren had buried himself among the rubbish and that is where the coyote found him.
So then, it was the coyotes turn to go hide, and as gullible as the coyote was, he buried himself among the rubbish and waited. Then the wren knew that his friend would hide in the same manner as he did, so without making an effort to look for the coyote, the wren pretended to be looking for him. When enough time had passed, he went over to where the coyote was buried and said, “Oh good! I found a small saucepan I’ll take it to my grandmother so she can put parched corn in it and I can take it around with me.”
Then the wren pulled it out it was the coyote’s snout. “Ouch, ouch, ouch, that’s my snout, that’s my snout!” he shouted in his deep voice. So that is how the wren found the coyote.
So it may be that the two friends are still playing the game of hide-and go-seek.
The End
Introduction to the Hotevilla-Bacavi Story Project
December 21, 2024
The Hotevilla-Bacavi Story Project is a heartfelt initiative dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the Hopi language and culture. This project began with the generous contribution of written Hopi storybooks from Dr. Robert Rhodes to Mesa Media, Inc. These stories, rich in Hopi tradition and wisdom, form an invaluable resource for teaching and learning the Hopi language.
In our commitment to honoring and amplifying these stories, Mesa Media has worked to adapt them into engaging, accessible formats. The stories have been transferred into PowerPoint presentations, carefully transcribed in the adopted Hopi orthography, and recorded for broader use. Through these efforts, we aim to make these stories an effective and meaningful tool for Hopi language learners of all ages.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Rhodes—Askwali, Bob—for your unwavering support of the Hopi people and for your dedication to the revitalization of our language and culture.
Revitalizing Hopi: A Gift for Christmas and Beyond
December 9, 2024
As Christmas approaches, many of us reflect on the importance of family, tradition, and the gifts we share with one another. This year, consider giving a gift that goes beyond material items: the preservation and revitalization of a language that holds centuries of culture, history, and wisdom—Hopi.
The Hopi language, spoken by the indigenous Hopi people in northeastern Arizona, is at risk of fading into obscurity. Like many Native American languages, it has faced decades of decline, due to the decreased use in the home and the dominance of English. However, there’s a growing movement to revitalize Hopi and ensure it thrives for generations to come.
Teaching Hopi is not just about preserving words; it’s about passing down a way of life, a connection to the land, and a deep understanding of the natural world. The language encapsulates the Hopi worldview—its rituals, beliefs, and stories—and helps foster a sense of identity and pride among our young Hopi people. When we teach Hopi, we’re not only preserving the language itself, but also the very essence of Hopi culture.
This Christmas, consider downloading free Hopi language resources as a gift for yourself, a loved one, or your community. By learning even just a few words, you’re contributing to a larger movement of cultural preservation and renewal. It’s a meaningful way to connect with a tradition that is one of the oldest in North America, in doing so, honor the richness of indigenous cultures.
Let’s make this holiday season about giving a gift that lasts—one that nurtures language, culture, and understanding. Downloading a Hopi language resource is more than an act of learning; it’s a step toward ensuring that Hopi, and languages like it, will be spoken for generations to come.
Merry Christmas—and may the gift of language fill our hearts and communities with joy.
Hopihiniwtipu (Significant Events for Hopi People)
December 1, 2024
HopiNhiwtipu (Significant Events for the Hopi People) is an insightful book that chronicles pivotal moments in Hopi history and culture. Written in the Hopi language, it offers a deep connection to the traditions and experiences of the Hopi people. The book includes an English translation to make this valuable cultural resource accessible to a broader audience. Along with the written text, a CD features Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, a respected Hopi elder and former director of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, reading the book in Hopi, providing a powerful auditory experience that honors the language and its oral storytelling tradition. This work is an essential tool for preserving and sharing Hopi heritage for future generations.
The publication of this work underscores the importance of Indigenous peoples writing and sharing their own histories. By documenting and preserving our stories in our own words, we assert control over our narratives, countering the misrepresentations and omissions often found in mainstream historical accounts. This book is a powerful example of how Indigenous communities can reclaim their past, protect their cultural heritage, and pass down knowledge to future generations. It is a significant step toward the empowerment of Indigenous voices in shaping the understanding of our histories and experiences.
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel and let us know what types of content you would like to see.
Tis The Season For Story Telling
November 28, 2024
Tuutuwutsyani Story telling time.
Iisawu hiihintsakngwu. Coyote does all sorts of things.
Itamuy tutuqayna, u’nantoyna. Teaching us, reminding us.