Earlier this month, I set out once again with my dad, Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, 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. Someday, my memories will be all that remain of these hunts with him. That 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 Leupp, Arizona, and the San Francisco Peaks, and he shares stories of hunting with his father. The interview 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.