One of the organizations that the film producers acknowledged and thanked in Beyond the Mesas was the Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF). In addition to providing funds to support educational research, HEEF has generated millions of dollars to help Hopi students receive an education on and off the reservation. I was one of these students, and I remain very thankful and indebted to HEEF and the Hopi Tribe Grants and Scholarship Program (HTGSP) for helping me to attend college and graduate school. I would not be where I am at today without the support of HEEF and the HTGSP. Below is a brief film about the organization’s purpose and goals. A reoccurring theme in the film is that many Hopis consider education to be a tool that will ensure the survival of our people. This understanding is key to HEEF’s existence. Please consider donating to this worthy organization. To learn more about HEEF, click here.
Sheilah E. Nicholas publishes article on Hopi language and youth
Sheilah E. Nicholas (Hopi) from the village of Songoopavi, and assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of Arizona, recently published an article titled, “‘I Live Hopi, I Just Don’t Speak It’ – The Critical Intersection of Language, Culture, and Identity in the Lives of Contemporary Hopi Youth”, Journal of Language, Identity & Education, Vol. 8, Issue 5, November 2009, pp. 321-334. This article is a major contribution to the fields of education and Hopi studies. It is a wonderful essay to read alongside Beyond the Mesas. To view the abstract, click here.
Review in School Library Journal
My friend and colleague, Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo), recently informed me that Beyond the Mesas was reviewed in the February 2009 edition of School Library Journal. This journal is used as a selection tool for librarians across the US. Click here to read the review (scroll down).
Have you used Beyond the Mesas in your class?
One of the reasons the film producers created Beyond the Mesas was to provide a teaching tool for instructors to use in the classroom. Have you shown BTM in your class? If so, how did your students respond? What questions did the film evoke? What did your students like or dislike about the film? Did you show this film in conjunction with reading assignments (articles, books, etc.)? I remember in 2006, I showed the film to a group of college students, and one of the non-Native students in the audience said to me: “Your film seems really biased,” and I responded, “You’re right, there is a definite Hopi bias to the film.” Of course, this student was not referring to a Hopi bias per se, but he was having a difficult time understanding why several of the people in the film had positive things to say about their time at off-reservation Indian boarding schools.
Recent showings on PBS
Beyond the Mesas is airing throughout the United States on regional PBS stations. Since November is “Native American Heritage Month,” there seems to be an increase in the number of showings. On November 17 Beyond the Mesas was aired on Colorado Public Television – KBDI Channel 12 (Denver, CO). On November 18 and 25 at 10:30PM, the film will be aired on PBS affiliate WNMU-TV in Michigan.
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