Hunting As a Hopi Youth

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.

Hopi and other Native understandings of Rainbow Bridge

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSiUwsWVddk]

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time fishing and water skiing on Lake Powell. While having fun on the lake, one of the places that we used to visit was Rainbow Bridge National Monument in southern Utah.

On YouTube, I came across an interesting video of Hopi oral histories of the bridge. In 2009, the U.S. National Park Service conducted the interviews to mark the Monument’s 100 year anniversary. The Hopis in the video include Wilton Kooyahoema (Hotevilla), Floyd Lomakuyvaya (Shungopavi), and Rod Duwala (Oraivi).

Members of the Navajo, Kaibab Paiute, San Juan Paiute, and White Mesa Ute nations were also interviewed for this project. I have posted their segments below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mxnIAyUcNk&feature=related]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iqn1j1-w90&feature=related]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyyN9n0t64s&feature=related]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Bg51kfB6o&feature=related]