Pensoyungkam
People with the Pencil
In 1895, nineteen Hopi men were imprisoned on Alcatraz for their resistance against the United States government's Indian acculturation policies. Pensoyungkam is about who holds the pencil to record this little-known piece of American history.
The film
From January to September 1895, nineteen Hopi men from Hotevilla were imprisoned on Alcatraz Island by the United States government for alleged seditious acts. They were never formally charged.
In 2006, descendants of the imprisoned men — children still in elementary school — spoke with a village elder about patriotism and sedition, in the context of their ancestors' resistance. The children then visited Alcatraz Island and viewed the original cells where their ancestors had been imprisoned.
Pensoyungkam asks where the truth of those events lies, in Hopi oral memory or in the written record kept by the government that imprisoned them. It is a film about who holds the pencil to record, present, and interpret Indigenous history.
Watch the trailer
Twenty-two years later
This October, the young people who appear in the film — now adults — are returning to Alcatraz on Indigenous Peoples' Day, accompanied by Hotevilla elders, to the place it was filmed. Their return journey confirms the indelible footprints, "kuktota", to and from Alcatraz, continuing to the present, and anticipating the future.
Screenings
Details below reflect what is confirmed as of this writing. More screenings may be added.
Hotevilla, AZ
Premiere screening at the village spring in Hotevilla.
Bacavi, AZ
Screening in the village of Bacavi.
Alcatraz Island
Premiere screening on the island itself — the first public screening of Pensoyungkam at Alcatraz.
SF Public Library
Koret Auditorium, Main Library, 100 Larkin St, San Francisco. Coordinated with the International Indian Treaty Council and Friends of the SF Public Library.
Registration required via Eventbrite (link coming soon).
Stanford University
In coordination with the Stanford American Indian Organization.
Support the journey
Contributions made in connection with these screenings go toward travel, lodging, and meals for the six Hotevilla descendants traveling to attend the Bay Area screenings.
How to support the journey
Donations are processed through the Elders Wisdom Project, a program of Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples (501(c)(3)), serving as fiscal sponsor for this effort. Your contribution is tax-deductible.
- 1Click the Donate button on the Donate to the Elders Wisdom Project page.
- 2Select a donation amount.
- 3Click Donation Options, then Add a comment.
- 4In the comment field, enter Hopi 19, then click Done and Continue. This step is required for your gift to be applied correctly.
A receipt from Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples serves as your tax documentation.
In partnership with
These screenings would not be possible without the following partners and co-sponsors.
About the filmmaker
Duwawisioma, aka Victor Masayesva Jr. — recipient of the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Two Rivers Visionary Award, and the Taos Film Festival Filmmaker Award, among others — was born to the Water Coyote Clan (Pa Isngyam) and raised in Hotevilla, Arizona. After graduating from Princeton, he returned home and immersed himself in Hopi history and culture, which led him to photography and filmmaking. His work resists easy categorization, drawing on historical and cultural elements that predate the modern construct of "Native American." Today, he continues as a farmer, community builder, and filmmaker in Hotevilla.