In what is perhaps an ongoing attempt to educate poor gringos like myself, the University of New Mexico Press presents the autobiography of Virgil Wyaco: Zuni Indian, UNM graduate, tribal council member and WWII veteran. J.A. Jones, a Las Vegas, NM-based anthropologist and old college roommate of Wyaco, transcribed the Zuni's story from a series of interviews into a solid narrative that makes up in homespun wisdom and charm what it lacks in formal polish. Wyaco left his Pueblo at a young age to seek an education in Albuquerque, an act that left him in many ways between two worlds, live on the reservation and life in the city that was just starting on its path towards a major metropolis. It is his attempt to reconcile his upbringing with the complications of modern life that makes A Zuni Life so fascinating. Wayco dealt with prejudice, intertribal marriage, and innumerable attempts at different carrers throughout his life with the same patience and humility that earned him the nickname of "Honest Zuni". His story offers tantalizing glimpses into Pueblo culture, like the Shalako ceremony and the sacred lake of Kothluwalawa where the dead dance for eternity. Here's hoping this book continues its dance for for many years to come.
This review originally appeared in The Weekly Alibi.
© Todd Meigs
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