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Made by the P. Lorillard Tobacco Company and produced and directed by Alan Shilin, "Miracle on the Mesa" is a 1954 portrait of the Hopi People. It was photographed by Toge Fujihara. The film looks at Hopi pottery and piki bread making, and agricultural and livestock-keeping practices in the Keams Canyon and First Mesa areas of the Hopi reservation. Story follows John Ovayama through various scenarios reflecting Hopi life and customs.. The film shows the Hopi people's deep connection to their gods and the land. It highlights their traditional way of life, their agricultural practices, and their reliance on the gods for rain and survival. The narrative emphasizes the Hopi's resilience, their cultural heritage, and the spiritual significance of their daily activities, such as farming, pottery making, and rituals to invoke rain.
0:29 - 1:06: Introduction to the gods of the Hopi, who are described as old, great, and ever-present in the life of the land.
1:06 - 1:57: The gods have shaped the land, creating canyons and deserts, and have given life to creatures like the snake and eagle, who serve as their messengers.
1:57 - 2:48: The Hopi people, who have lived in their villages for centuries, maintain their traditions and dignity despite adopting some tools from the white man's world.
2:48 - 3:22: The Hopi begin their day by tending to their corn, which they plant carefully and deeply to ensure it grows in the harsh desert conditions.
3:22 - 4:08: The Hopi dedicate long hours to cultivating their corn, facing challenges like dryness, wind, crows, and worms.
4:08 - 4:35: The Hopi depend on the gods for rain to nourish their crops, looking for signs in the heavens.
4:35 - 5:08: John Overyama's family raises sheep and corn, traveling daily to their ranch in the desert.
5:08 - 6:01: Water is scarce and precious in the Hopi country, essential for both the people and their livestock.
6:01 - 6:30: The summer brings anxiety as the Hopi pray for rain, with the sun relentless and water sources drying up.
6:30 - 7:19: The women of the Hopi make pottery using clay from their mesas, creating beautiful and functional pieces without the use of a potter's wheel.
7:19 - 8:40: Life in the Hopi villages continues as it has for centuries, with women fetching water from springs at the base of the mesa.
8:40 - 9:27: The women also draw water for laundry, using a special weed for suds, and the children climb down to the government day school.
9:27 - 10:14: Hopi children are highly intelligent, with a higher average intelligence rating than other American children, and truancy is rare.
10:14 - 11:19: During the critical summer days, the Hopi grind corn and make peaky bread, living on last year's crop while praying for rain.
11:19 - 12:28: The religious life of the Hopi intensifies in summer, with the tribe dancing to appeal to the gods for rain.
12:28 - 13:15: John Overyama rides out on a mission, seeing the drought's impact on the corn and springs, and feeling fear for his people.
13:15 - 14:04: John heads to Keem's Canyon, the headquarters of the Hopi Indian Agency, where government employees live and the reservation is administered.
14:04 - 15:18: John meets with the chief and the superintendent to discuss a water development plan for the reservation.
15:18 - 16:07: As they work on the plan, the Hopi on the mesa dance day and night, praying for rain.
16:07 - 17:00: The people look and listen for signs from the gods, with the same fear and faith as their ancestors.
17:00 - 18:21: The gods speak with thunder, and rain finally falls, bringing life and hope to the Hopi.
18:21 - 19:07: The film concludes with the gods of the Hopi being praised for bringing rain and causing the desert to bloom.
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