At this year’s Pilgrimage, kids can take part in a variety of fun, optional activities that help bring the past to life through creativity and play. They can make and fly kites like children once did at Heart Mountain, try the Chopstick Challenge, or draw what the mountain and camp site look like today, then compare it to artwork created during incarceration. Kids can also join book readings, color themed pages, and watch the short film, Hello Maggie! These activities offer a meaningful way for young participants to connect, reflect, and have fun.

Sam and his family were incarcerated at Heart Mountain, where his grandfather died because of poor medical care and his father went blind because of the harsh conditions and lack of access to proper treatment. After the war ended, he became a rocket scientist and executive with The Boeing Company. Sam is one of the few survivors of the Japanese American imprisonment who actively speaks about his experiences in engagements around the country to schools, colleges, attorney groups, and other interested organizations. Since 2011, he has spoken in person to more than 125,000 people. He received the National Council of History Education’s Paul A. Gagnon Prize in 2018, and in February 2025, he presented the 51st Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Master Beekeeper Deb Furukawa DeWitt has kept bees in Atlanta, Georgia since 2018 and currently serves as the Central Regional Director for the Georgia Beekeepers Association and as President of the Tara Beekeepers Association in East Point, Georgia. In 2025, she received two notable honors: the Georgia Beekeeper of the Year award and a one-year residency with Georgia Tech’s Urban Honey Bee Project.

Deb manages colonies in and around downtown Atlanta as well as in North Carolina. She enjoys the creative process of crafting products from the honey, beeswax, and propolis her bees provide. From infused and creamed honey to beeswax luminaries, hand salves, balms, and tinctures, she finds countless ways to transform the hive’s bounty into products that celebrate the bees and their work.

Damion Thomas is the Museum Curator of Sports for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, where he also leads the museum’s Sports and Race Initiative. He earned a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in United States History at UCLA. Prior to joining the museum, he was an assistant professor at the University of Maryland—College Park and the University of Illinois—Urbana/Champaign. He is the author of Globetrotting: African American Athletes and Cold War Politics, and numerous other articles and op-eds.

Glenn Kaino is a Los Angeles–based artist and filmmaker known internationally for his expansive vision and activist-minded practice. Kaino takes a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to his work, uniting diverse systems of knowledge, methods of production, and individuals who might not typically intersect. His practice often includes long-term partnerships with a wide range of visionary collaborators.

Kaino has exhibited at museums and galleries around the world, including the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Japanese American National Museum, the High Museum of Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, and Pace Gallery amongst others. He was featured in the 2004 Whitney Biennial, New York; the 2014 Prospect.3, New Orleans; the 12th Biennale de Lyon, France, and represented the U.S. at the 13th Cairo Biennale in 2013.

Kaino recently directed the Disney-acquired short Hoops, Hopes & Dreams, co-directed With Drawn Arms, an Emmy-Nominated film about his collaboration with Olympian Tommie Smith, and co-produced the off-broadway and film version of the Hulu special In & Of Itself.

David Ono is the anchor for ABC7 Eyewitness News in Los Angeles, working for ABC7 since 1996. He traveled across Europe and Asia chronicling brave acts of Nisei soldiers from World War II, creating the immersive stage show Defining Courage, selling out theaters across the country including The Kennedy Center, Segerstrom Theater, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the historic Hawaii Theater.

David has produced multiple award-winning documentaries, two of which are in the Smithsonian Institution, and he has won 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, 32 Emmys, was named America’s anchor of the year in 2024, and has been named journalist of the year by the L.A. Press Club multiple times. He has also received the Distinguished Journalist Award by the Society of Professional Journalists and was part of a team covering the L.A. Firestorm winning the prestigious Peabody Award. David is also honored to have received Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

Evelyn Iritani is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Safe Passage: The Untold Story of Diplomatic Intrigue, Betrayal, and the Exchange of American and Japanese Civilians By Sea During World War II (March 2026 FSG). Publisher’s Weekly called Safe Passage “gripping and immersive” and historian/author Frank Abe described it as a “meticulously researched page-turner” and a “missing piece of the Japanese American experience.” Her previous book, An Ocean Between Us: The Changing Relationship of Japan and the United States Told in Four Stories From the Life of An American Town, won a Washington Governor’s Writers Day Award. A graduate of the University of Washington, Iritani began her career at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and moved to the Los Angeles Times in 1995 to cover international economics. Her reporting garnered numerous awards, including the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and the George Polk Award for Economics Reporting for a series she co-authored on Wal-Mart. Her work allowed her to indulge in some of her favorite pastimes: exploring street markets, eating rich foods and getting lost—and hopefully found—in new places. For more, please visit www.evelyniritani.com.

John C. Kiyonaga is a criminal defense attorney, former U.S. Army officer, and debut novelist based in Alexandria, Virginia. A veteran of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps with service in the 101st Airborne Division and Special Forces, he has practiced law for over four decades, handling complex federal and state cases. His first book, Uninvited Valor: The Forsaken Soldiers of WWII, draws on his father’s service in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team to tell a powerful story of injustice, loyalty, and courage. Kiyonaga was born in Japan, raised primarily in Latin America and graduated from Columbia Law School and Columbia Journalism School.

Shirley’s book on the history of the incarceration is portrayed through the lens of several dynamic characters whose lives passed through Heart Mountain spanning pre-WWII to the present day. Her book, Setsuko’s Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration, is now available at your favorite bookseller, www.setsukossecret.com.

Her proudest moment was the opening of the Foundation’s now Smithsonian-affiliate museum in August 2011. She also expertly guided the creation and development of the Mineta-Simpson Institute which opened in July 2024.

She was the first Asian American President of the voluntary Bar Association of the District of Columbia, established in 1871. Previously, she was the first Asian American to serve as President of the mandatory DC Bar in 2003. Shirley was appointed to the Judicial Tenure and Disabilities Commission where she was responsible for reviewing misconduct, reappointments, and fitness reviews for the District’s judges. She served on the Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, where she recommended judicial applicants for the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. She was formerly an attorney with the American Psychological Association advocating for mental health coverage.

Doug is the retired president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which for more than 20 years he transformed from a philanthropic organization to one of the nation’s most influential and respected large foundations. Among many other roles, Doug serves as chair of the CDC Foundation in Atlanta, GA, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Carter Center. He is former chair of Living Cities: The National Community Development Initiative and former vice chair of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation Center in New York City. Doug is also one of the creative forces behind the new Mineta-Simpson Institute at Heart Mountain.

Ray Locker is the director of communications and strategy for the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. Before joining the Foundation, he spent his career as an editor, reporter and columnist with news organizations including USA TODAY, the Associated Press, and the Tampa Tribune. He is the author of Nixon’s Gamble: How a President’s Own Secret Government Destroyed his Administration, Haig’s Coup: How Richard Nixon’s Closest Aide Forced him From Office, Heart Mountain Incarceration Site, and From Behind Barbed Wire to Washington: The Remarkable Friendship of Norman Mineta and Alan Simpson.

Small, intimate gatherings spark open dialogue, personal storytelling, and deep curiosity. These meaningful conversations create space for reflection, connection, and shared experiences across generations. Be sure to sign up when you register to secure your spot in a group.

The Art Healing Workshop is a loosely structured, drop-in space designed to help participants reflect on and process the emotions and conversations that emerge from the Multigenerational Discussion Groups. Art prompts and a variety of creative supplies will be available. Participants are invited to draw, journal, write poetry, or engage in other forms of creative expression at their own pace in a supportive and welcoming environment.

Barbara Watanabe Batton was born in Los Angeles, CA, and incarcerated as an infant with her parents and the Zaima family at Heart Mountain. She is a retired New York City elementary school teacher, living in the Bronx, NY. Barbara worked as a teacher consultant for the New York City Writing Project and as co-Director of the Elementary Teachers Network and Even Start Family Literacy Project. This is her fifth consecutive Heart Mountain Pilgrimage.

The Annual Survivor’s Meetup is a deeply meaningful gathering where former incarcerees come together to reconnect, reflect, and share their personal stories with the support of a facilitator. While all are welcome to attend, this time is dedicated to the voices of incarcerees. We kindly ask that you remain quiet and respectful as they speak.

Denver Taiko was formed in 1976. They are the fourth oldest taiko drumming group in North America. It started with the inspiration that one of the original members, Mark Miyoshi, received upon seeing the San Jose Taiko Group perform. Mark returned to Denver bursting with enthusiasm to share his taiko experience.

The group studied with Sensei Seiichi Tanaka, learning the history of taiko and his philosophy. Tanaka stressed the importance of “ki” and how without ki, it is not a taiko group, but just a percussive group. Later, the Kinnara Taiko Group came and shared their Buddhist view of taiko. Through Sensei Tanaka and Kinnara Taiko, Denver Taiko had a strong philosophical and historical perspective of taiko and through San Jose Taiko they developed their structure.

For this group, taiko is a way of expressing pride in their Japanese culture and heritage. It’s their hope that taiko will be perpetuated by future generations. They sponsor and teach a junior group on Sundays and hope taiko will continue to grow and serve as a means to discover oneself and appreciate a cultural heritage nurtured by past generations.

Denver Taiko is proud to be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year!

Linda Mihara, daughter of former incarceree Nobuo Mihara, is an origami artist, designer, columnist, and online host. She is the owner of Paper Tree—the Origami Store—in San Francisco’s Japantown. Her grandather,  former Heart Mountain incarceree Tokinobu Mihara, authored  Origami—Japanese Art of Paper Folding volumes 1 and 2, two of the first books on origami written in English from the 1950s.

Linda is an award-winning designer of complex origami models, including her ‘Peace Sphere’, a three-dimensional sphere of 18 cranes folded from a single sheet of paper. As a professional origami artist, Linda is in demand for commercial work and for personal appearances at conventions and events around the world. Her clients include Pixar, Hermés of Paris, Chanel, and Seiko. She has also created origami for commercials for Disney, McDonald’s, Mitsubishi Motors, and Microsoft.

Nobuko Miyamoto, singer/songwriter, theater and movement artist, began a career dancing in Broadway and film musicals such as Flower Drum Song and West Side Story, but found her own voice as an activist and troubadour in the Asian American movement. The songs she created and sang with Chris Ijima in the 73 seminal album A Grain Of Sand began her journey using art to tell the Asian American story. In 1978, she founded Great Leap and, for 45 years, created, collaborated on, and curated works for the stage, video, film, and festivals that engaged, activated, and built solidarity across cultures. Her memoir, Not Yo’ Butterfly (2023 UC Press), and her latest album, 120,000 Stories (2022 Smithsonian Folkways), are now available online.

Johnny Tim Yellowtail is a member of the Apsáalooke nation, commonly known as the Crow nation, and the Historic Site Caretaker at Heart Mountain. He is a Men’s Traditional Dancing Champion who has represented Apsáalooke traditions in Spain, Canada, and at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also trained in archaeological monitoring and tends to the physical, historical, and spiritual dimensions of this land that is sacred to Japanese Americans and Indigenous peoples alike.

Kenji Fujita is an artist and educator who was born into a family of artists steeped in mid-century American abstraction and Japanese aesthetics. Kenji has been making sculpture, painting, and works on paper for over 40 years and has shown his work extensively both in the U.S. and internationally. He has received artist fellowships from The New York Foundation for the Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Pollock-Krasner Foundation, The Gottlieb Foundation, and The Guggenheim Foundation. He currently teaches at Bard College and the School of Visual Art, living and working in Staatsburg, New York.