Tag: Arizona elk

Hunting As a Hopi Youth

On By Matthew Sakiestewa GilbertIn Beyond the Mesas LLC, Hopi Hunt1 Comment

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.

Hunting Elk on Hopi Lands – Video [2026]

On By Matthew Sakiestewa GilbertIn AIS at University of Arizona, American Indian Studies, Artificial Intelligence, Department of History at University of Arizona, Hopi films, Hopi Hunt, Hopi videos, HuntingLeave a comment

In this video I tell a story about hunting elk with my father, Willard Sakiestewa Gilbert, from Upper Munqapi. The account takes place on October 14, 2025, in Unit 5B North (Hopi-owned Hart Ranch), southwest of Winslow, Arizona. Each year, the Hopi Wildlife & Ecosystems Management Program works with Arizona Game and Fish to secure a set number of hunting permits for its tribal members. This hunt is known as the Hopi Hunt. I have written more about the Hopi Hunt in a previous post. The video incorporates images enhanced or created by Artificial Intelligence, namely SuperGrok, and music generated by ElevenLabs. I used this project to become more familiar with AI and its many capabilities, all while keeping my voice original and unaltered.