Faculty and Staff
Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert
Email Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert
Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies & History
Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert (Hopi) received his Ph.D. in History, and an M.A. in Public History (Historic Preservation), from the University of California, Riverside, and also holds an M.A. in Theology from Talbot School of Theology (Biola University). Centering his research and teaching on Native American History and the History of the West, Dr. Gilbert examines the history of American Indian education, the Indian boarding school experience, and federal Indian polices of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In addition to publishing articles on Hopi history and producing a documentary film (Beyond the Mesas) on the Hopi boarding school experience, Dr. Gilbert is working on a book manuscript titled Education Beyond the Mesas: Hopi Student Involvement at Sherman Institute, 1902-1929 (University of Nebraska Press). Along with his work on Hopi education, Dr. Gilbert has been conducting research on Hopi long distance runners, and the encounters/relationships of American Indian leaders with United States presidents (1880-1930).
Prior to his current post in AIS & History, Dr. Gilbert served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in American Indian Studies at the UIUC (2006-2007).
Watch the trailer to "Beyond The Mesas"