Thomas Banyacya: The Hopi Prophecy

Originally produced as a video letter to the United Nations Environmental Programme in 1989, this 28-minute film documents Hopi leader Thomas Banyacya delivering a powerful message from the Hopi elders of Hotevilla. At the time in his 80s, Banyacya gathered in a traditional circle with visiting Lummi, Lacandone, and environmental activists from the U.S. and Mexico to share the Hopi Prophecy.

The prophecy warned of "Koyaanisqatsi"—a Hopi word meaning "life out of balance"—caused by growing materialism and environmental destruction. Through this message, Banyacya urged humanity to return to spiritual unity and reconnect with Mother Earth. The Hopi call on the world to use knowledge and technology to heal polluted lands, conserve resources, and replace individual and national greed with global care for the planet’s balance.

Directed by: Gayil Nalls
Produced by: Gayil Nalls, John Steele
Camera & Sound: Keith Hathaway, Gayil Nalls
Edited by: Joe Torelli
Running Time: 28 minutes
© 1990, NALLS STUDIO, All Rights Reserved

Awards & Recognition:

Aired on PBS stations across the U.S.
PBS National Satellite Screening, First View
Winner of the Mayor’s EarthPeace Film Prize at EarthPeace International Film Festival (1991)
Featured at the Earth Summit (UN Conference on the Environment and Development), Rio de Janeiro, 1992
Showcased at Santa Barbara International Film Festival and DREAMSPEAKERS ’92 in Canada
Included in collections at the National Museum of the American Indian (NY & DC)

This film remains a moving call to honor Indigenous wisdom and take urgent action for Earth’s future.