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(Many Paths)
An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
 
 
 
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Hopi Language Learning And Teaching Material Available At Mesa Media, Inc.
 
 
by Crystal Dee - Hopi Tutuveni
Anita Poleahla, Founder and President of Mesa Media,
Inc. holds new 2017 Calendar

Mesa Media Inc. will have some new Hopi Lavayi products available to purchase in time for the holiday season; 2017 Hopi Calendar, one of five tiny books, Hopi alphabet coloring book, Hopi word cloud posters, and a Hopi Language application.

Mesa Media Inc. President Anita Poleahla said the Hopi calendar is in its third print; the 2017 calendar includes 28 color pages, moon phases, most major holidays and character traits for each month.

"The artwork for the calendars was done by local Hopi artists, most of whom are students at Hopi High School," said Poleahla. "I tell my students to draw me something that reflects the month I want a drawing for and they create it for me. They get a stipend for their artwork as well."

One of the new items Poleahla is excited to talk about is the Hopi language app that will be free to download on to your phones and tablets.

"We used our students for this project as well," said Poleahla. "We used Kaden Mahle's voice for the application and other students pitched in with their artwork."

Poleahla said the application is a spin-off of an old Jeopardy game she owned. The application was designed by Peter Baumgard; Poleahla hopes to build on the use of technology for future Hopi Lavayi products.

New books that will be available to purchase is a tiny book titled, Ana! Tooto nuy mu'a and the Hopi Alphabet Coloring Book. The Tiny Books are simple books that will teach children simple words such as "ouch" and "scratch". The tiny books are 10 to 12 pages and there will be a total of five different tiny books printed.

"It is repetitive words and I'm sure they will learn what the words are and how to use them," said Poleahla.

The Coloring book is of the Hopi Alphabet and is illustrated by high school students.

Calendar Sample

Poleahla said she is happy to announce the Hopi Cultural Center is selling Mesa Media Inc. products if people are interested in purchasing any of the items available online.

"All of Mesa Media Inc. products are in Third Mesa dialect because of academic value and because I cite the Hopi Dictionary all the time," said Poleahla.

Poleahla currently teaches the Hopi Language class at Hopi High School where she has students from all Hopi villages. Poleahla took a Hopi language class from the late Emory Sekaquaptewa; he taught his students how to change a word to reflect each village's dialect. That is what Poleahla teaches her students so they can learn it in their own dialect.

Poleahla said she would like to see a Hopi textbook developed for the Hopi Language class before she leaves so that it could be used by the students.

"I will have a rough draft in place by the time I leave," said Poleahla. "I also want to create lessons for all of the music CD's, language learning CD's and DVD's we have now."

During the summer break, Poleahla is busy creating new products for Mesa Media Inc., she is the creator and developer of all the language learning materials.

Mesa Media Inc. was founded in 2004 by Poleahla and the late Ferrell Secakuku. In 2005 they became a 501(c) (3) non-profit Hopi organization.

"The mission of Mesa Media Inc. is to revitalize the Hopi language, which encompasses the philosophy of land stewardship maintained by Hopi people for centuries."

Through grants, they are able to produce these Hopi language learning products to keep the Hopi language alive and to keep the cost of these products at a reasonable price so that everyone can learn.

Poleahla remembers the first cassette her and Secakuku released.

"We recorded ourselves with a handheld recorder and then transferred it onto a cassette tape," said Poleahla as she smiled and laughed. "It was a lot of work because we had to print and stick the labels onto the cassette ourselves, then we advanced to CD's; and now I can just send a request to order more CD's and it comes pre-packaged. We have come a long way."

Poleahla said Secakuku was the composer on three of the music CD's; he always knew which words to use and how it should be sung.

The last CD, "Living through Hopi Songs", they released together and dedicated it to their grandchildren.

Secakuku passed in 2007 and Poleahla believes he is still with us in spirit and each progress Mesa Media Inc. makes, Secakuku and Sekaquaptewa is looking over them.

The next learning materials Poleahla is working on is a color by number coloring book, a Facebook Hopi word of the day and is planning a workshop for Mesa Media Inc. to be held in June 2017.

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The following is Mesa Media Inc.'s language learning products are available for purchase:

2017 Calendar; Posters: Neeveni - Edible Hopi Plants by Max Taylor, Hopi Clans and Kiisonvi, Noosiwqa - Hopi Foods;

Hopi Language CD's: Hopi Lavayvenpi - Hopi Alphabet in Conversation, Piklawu - Making Piki, Uylawu - Planting, Noovalawu - Preparing Food & Cooking a Meal;

Music CD's: Learning Through Hopi Songs, Teaching Through Hopi Songs, Living Through Hopi Songs, Taatawi- Puwvitstawi pu Tiitaptawi Hopi Lullaby & Game Songs;

DVD's: Itam Hopi yu'a'atotani! Let's Speak Hopi! Vol.1-3, Iisaw Haalayi: The Coyote is Happy;

Books: Hopilavayvenpi. Tutuveni ang kuwanlewita'a. Hopi Alphabet. Color the Pages, Hopihiniwtipu- Significant Events for Hopi People, Tsangaw uma oki. Itam haalaytoti- We are glad you are here. A handbook of secular Hopi teachings for Teachers and Professionals-Celebrate My Hopi Corn, Celebrate My Hopi Toys.

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Mesa Media, Inc.
Mesa Media, Inc.'s mission is to revitalize the Hopi language, which encompasses the philosophy of land stewardship maintained by Hopi people for centuries. In 2004, fluent Hopi speakers Anita Poleahla and 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.

http://www.mesamedia.org/Mesa_Media.html

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