Earlier this month, I set out once again with my dad to hunt elk. He is now in his mid-70s, and I often wonder how many more years we will be able to share these experiences together. Someday, my memories will be all that remain of these hunts with him, which is why I have made an effort to record our conversations, including this one.
In this video, I ask my dad about his early memories of hunting as a Hopi youth. He recalls hunting rabbits, squirrels, and deer near the San Francisco Peaks and the Arizona towns of Leupp and Kayenta. He also shares stories of hunting with his father.
The interview, which is very casual in nature, takes place on October 10, 2026, during our elk hunt in a remote location in Arizona—hunting unit 5B North, southwest of Winslow. The hunt was part of the Hopi Hunt organized by the Hopi Tribe’s Wildlife & Ecosystems Management Program.
Thanks for sharing these traditions and memories.
My family has also been hunting deer and elk @ Mount Baldy, Greens Peak, Humohrey’s interbasin and the Kiabab Plateau for 5 generations.
Respecting that your ancestors were/are the extraordinary endurance hunters who could out pace antelope sprints over the long run since time immemorial.
Kwa kwah!