Itam Hakim, Hopiit

Celebrating the Hopi Tricentennial, Itam Hakim, Hopiit is a poetic visualization of Hopi philosophy and prophesy. The myths, religion, legends and history of the Hopi people, articulated through the ancient oral tradition, are translated by Masayesva to video. Speaking in the Hopi language, Ross Macaya, the oldest member of a storytelling clan, weaves together personal and cultural history, recounting stories of the Hopi Emergence, the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the age of the conquistadors, and the story of the Bow Clan of his father. In direct contrast to the interpretive practice of ethnography, Masayesva articulates his cultural heritage through observation, and by allowing a Hopi voice to be heard. His eloquent rendering of the natural landscape of Arizona, and the cadence of the storyteller's language, exerts a mesmerizing beauty. The title translates as "We, someone, the Hopi."
　　In Hopi with English subtitles.