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Our
Students: Matthew
"Matt" Sakiestewa Gilbert
Matthew "Matt" Sakiestewa Gilbert is a Ph.D. candidate in
Native American History at the University of California, Riverside (UCR).
Matt's previous degrees include an M.A. in History from UCR (2004),
an M.A. in Theology from Biola University (2001) and a B.A. in History
from The Master's College (1999). Matt, a member of the Hopi Tribe,
is of the Sand Clan from the village of Upper Moencopi. He is the great-grandson
of Victor Sakiestewa from Upper Moencopi, and the son of Christine and
Dr. Willard Gilbert. Dr. Gilbert is also the current President of the
Hopi Education Endowment Fund.
Matt's dissertation is on the history of Hopi student involvement at
Sherman Indian High School titled: "Education Beyond the Mesas:
A History of Hopi Student Involvement at Sherman Institute 1902-1928."
In cooperation with the Hopi Tribe's Office of Cultural Preservation,
the Sherman Indian Museum and the University of California, Riverside,
Matt's dissertation highlights how the cultural knowledge of Hopi students
who attended Sherman allowed them to excel in their academic pursuits.
In addition to his dissertation, Matt has also been involved in various
other academic endeavors, which included visiting such countries as
Italy, Israel, Holland and the United Kingdom to further his academic
knowledge. He has also conducted research at the National Archives (MD),
the Library of Congress, the Holocaust Museum and the Hopi Reservation.
After finishing his doctorate program Matt plans to use his education
to better serve his Hopi people. As a historian he will be able to provide
insight to Hopi history from a Hopi perspective. He also includes teaching
Native American history at a college/university professor, as a career
goal, specifically teaching Hopi history, as well as publishing material
on Hopi history, for students whom may otherwise not have the opportunity
to learn about Hopi. Matt would also like to work alongside his Hopi
peers to provide useful historic Hopi material, which can then be incorporated
into school curriculum taught throughout the schools on the Hopi reservation.
Currently, Matt is conducting research at the Sherman Indian Museum
http://www.shermanindianmuseum.org/ and the National Archives Pacific
Regional Branch in Laguna Niguel, CA. He recently submitted a manuscript
titled "The Hopi Followers: Chief Tawaquaptewa and Hopi Student
Advancement at Sherman Institute, 1906-1909," to the Journal of
American Indian Education (JAIE), which JAIE will publish in the Fall
2005 issue, vol. 44, No. 2.
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