The Island Weights

Directed by Sky Hopinka

This film is based on the tale of the four water spirits known as Island Weights. In the creation story of Ho-Chunk, the artist’s home nation, the spirits are placed at the Earth’s cardinal points, ensuring that its rotation is not chaotic. Ho-Chunk, now known as Wisconsin, translates as “People of the Great Voice” and stretches from Red Banks to Trempealeau, and from Minneapolis to Milwaukee. The film is divided into 5 parts — Wijirawaséwe (Island Weights), yoiréreginarere (the west), rek’úhuhíra (the south), hą́boguominàgara (the east), siniwagúreginągere (the north) — and follows an individual as he recounts his journey along the boundaries of Ho-Chunk lands. Visually, the viewer is drawn from the tumultuous waves of the Mississippi to serene forests, tranquil lakes, enormous shopping malls, earthen effigies and Ho-Chunk relics. The narrator is not only looking for the spirits, but also wishes to honor them.