A Zuni Today: Our Guide Andy Hustito
By Dereck Rivera and Paul Kantzaridis

SUNDAY, April 20 -- On arrival at El Morro National Monument, we met a park ranger named Andy Hustito. We listened to him as he talked about his background as a Zuni and the history of El Morro and how it came to be.

Andy told us about his culture and religion. He talked about how the Zunis have initiations to special kachina groups. If you become a kachina , that entitles you to dance at special ceremonies, make costumes, and teach the young children about their ancestors, the Zuni religious ceremonies and the traditions of the tribe.

That is not the only education the children receive. Kids go to regular school from Headstart to 8th grade. The elders come to school to teach the Zuni language. Andy went on to an Indian school for high school. Then he went into the military.

He told us he was in the military for 12 years. He served in the Army in Germany, and Korea, where he patrolled the demilitarized zone. known as the DMZ. He was involved in the war in Kuwait. He said he never encountered any discrimination inside the military, although he was called "Chief" by his buddies as a nickname. His comrades valued his scouting abilities because he could read landscapes.

When he became a sergeant, he tried to teach the men under him discipline. He said he didn’t yell at them when they did wrong. He would take them aside and talk to them in private and show them respect. When we asked, he said the way he learned leadership in his tribe influenced his style.

He also told us he had been an alcoholic. Alcohol is a major downfall in his culture, so he decided to stop drinking and get his act together. He seemed happy he had accomplished that goal.

Finally , he ended his conversation by telling us about his family. He has four kids who range from 11-21 years old. His wife died a few years ago, and that made him cut his military career short and join the park service. He relies on his oldest son, who is 21, to help keep the family together. Often, his son will call him up and ask, "What are we having for dinner? " and then prepare the meal for the family.

Andy said his advice for young Zunis is to respect one another. He said they should leave to experience other surroundings and return as better people and improve life within their tribe. He said he continued to practice his traditional religion even when he was serving all over the world. He thinks life is getting better for Zunis in general. Many Zunis have more material things now, but he said that is not so important to him. "I am not rich in material things but I am rich in experience,’’ he said.

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