A small number of our Indigenous athletes are fortunate enough to showcase their talents at a collegiate level, and Malia Ukestine is one of those athletes! After overcoming an ACL injury in high school, she received a scholarship to play at Scottsdale Community College and shares this experience in this Speaks episode. Malia also describes details regarding traditional Zuni connections to Grand Canyon and how it’s carried on by today’s generation. Tune in to season 3 and enjoy this episode!

[Malia Ukestine]

I feel like a lot of Native American people are overlooked just because of how small our community is, especially Zuni. So, me being in that positive light, it showed that we are resilient and that we are deserving of a chance to show our talents and abilities.

[Lakin]

Welcome back to Grand Canyon Speaks. This is Lakin.

[Meranden]

And this is Meranden.

[Lakin]

In this episode, I interviewed former Scottsdale Community College basketball athlete Malia Ukestine.

[Meranden]

Malia, who is from Zuni, described the journey of overcoming a torn ACL in high school to winning playoff games with her college team.

[Lakin]

She also discussed the traditional connections that the Zuni people have with Grand Canyon, namely Ribbon Falls and Whitmore Wash.

[Meranden]

Take a listen and enjoy.

[Malia Ukestine]

Keshi. Ho’ Malia Ukestine le’shinna. Hom annodi: Dowa:kwe deyan Donashi:kwe a:wan cha’le.

Hello, everyone. My name is Malia Ukestine, and my clans are Corn and child of a Badger. I am currently 22 years old, and I graduated with my Associates at Scottsdale Community College with my general studies.

And I am currently just working in the business industry. But yeah, I played basketball for two years at Scottsdale Community on a basketball scholarship.

[Lakin]

Nice. Is this your first time to the canyon?

[Malia Ukestine]

Well, I've been here when I was younger, but I don't really remember much. But yeah, it was very surreal. Like, I wasn't expecting it to be like this beautiful.

And overlooking, you can see all the rivers and stuff, which I wasn't expecting. So that was pretty cool.

[Lakin]

Yeah, right now the river is running red because of the sediments being washed into the Colorado. So yeah, I'm glad that you find this place special. But we also want to know more about what does the canyon mean to you? And also, what does it mean to Zuni?

[Malia Ukestine]

Yeah, so the canyon is important to me and my people because it's where we originated from. There are petroglyphs, I believe, in the canyon where it tells how we came about and like the stories and our Zuni prayer as well.

Some of the petroglyphs show how we came from the Zuni emergence, which I believe was from the Ribbon Falls. And that would be our fourth world under the Grand Canyon. So, it shows like how we came from underneath with our toes and tails and hands.

So, we have a special and deep connection where some of our group leaders traveled down there and get materials that we use for our Pueblo for the same purposes as our ancestors did.

[Lakin]

So I believe you're referring to the Whitmore panel. And so for those listening, there's a petroglyph panel.

And so it's way down on that end of the canyon. And Ribbon Falls is on the north corridor. So like Malia mentioned, there's some imagery that depicts the emergence story of our people.

But circling back to your experience in college athletics, you did mention that you went to Scottsdale College for basketball. And we just want to know, like, what were some highlights of that experience?

[Malia Ukestine]

Yeah, I would say definitely meeting new people and getting a new experience outside the Pueblo, since that's where all I knew and where I was from. So definitely meeting new people.

They became my second family, especially my roommates and my coaches. Like, if I call them, then I know they'll always be there for me. And I would definitely say, we made it to the finals.

So, we won against one of our rivals, Mesa. And that was probably one of the best games that I played at SCC. And the crowd was so into it as well, which I love, like, every second of it.

So I would say those would be one of my best experiences there from SCC.

[Lakin]

Yeah, and it's pretty exciting getting to hear the crowd get louder as the game gets into the fourth quarter. So that's pretty cool that you got to not only be in those moments but also be a participant in the actual game.

So yeah, that's, that's cool that you got to be there. But did you have anyone that inspired you to pursue collegiate basketball? Or did you have moments in your life that inspired that?

[Malia Ukestine]

I from a younger age, I always knew that I wanted to go at a higher level and play. But I would say who inspired me the most would be my sisters, because they are younger than me.

So, I wanted them to have someone to look up to and to show them that whatever you work at, you can get done in life with dedication. And also a point in my life, in my high school career, my basketball coach, coach Joshua Dupont, I would say he was one of my inspirations. Because during my junior year, I had torn my ACL.

And that's when COVID was happening as well. So, it was just a tough mental space for me. And just having him like having my back and him always being there for me and just pushing me to be my best was very, very inspiring to me.

And just he was, he always knew that I would be special and the next level. So just have him having my back, and him going through that whole experience with me. And so that would probably be one of my inspirations.

And also my mom, she, she sacrificed a lot for me and my siblings. And she gave up a lot as well. And just her showing us that we can do it like on the next level by ourselves and just being ourselves and we can do whatever with hard work and dedication and just putting our time into whatever we want.

[Lakin]

Yeah, and it's always good to have those people close to you that always want to uplift you, especially family. And so that's why our community is we still sustain those cultural values is because our families are so connected in that way that you described. But also like the challenges that we experience, kind of help inform how we approach challenges in the future.

Yeah. So as an athlete, and also a student, you represented the Zuni community in a positive light. Why is indigenous representation important in collegiate sports?

[Malia Ukestine]

I would say it's important because not many of us get to experience that college experience or definitely not playing sports while in college.

So I feel like me having that representation gave Native athletes inspiration to grow into that light and to show them that they are capable of going on to the next level. And also, I feel like a lot of Native American people are overlooked just because of how small our community is, especially Zuni. So me being in that positive light, it showed that we are resilient and that we are deserving of a chance to show our talents and abilities.

[Lakin]

Yeah, and I definitely feel like every small effort to improve this representation matters, whether it's like, not only being an athlete, but also going to college and obtaining your degree in whatever it is that you find interest in. But I want to know, what message do you have for youth back at home who wish to pursue collegiate athletics?

[Malia Ukestine]

I would say to trust the process and that everyone is on their own path. Because for me personally, I was always overthinking and being like, why ain't I already at this level? Or just comparing myself to others.

So I would just say, just trust the process and believe that everything happens for a reason and everyone is on their own pace on their own path. And if you are wanting to do collegiate sports, I would say definitely take the time to perfect your craft and take care of your body mentally and physically. Because it is a lot with school and like keeping your grades up and being with practice and wanting to perform great.

So I would say definitely just keeping your mental at a good state and just getting that extra work in and keeping your body good. I mean, I was in the training room like 24-7. That was my second home.

So yeah, that would be my advice.

[Lakin]

Nice. And so anyone listening to this, we hope that you do that.

So yeah. Thank you, Malia. And we always throw in a fun question for our interviewee, but also for the audience.

And our fun question is, it's pretty big. What's your favorite indigenous food?

[Malia Ukestine]

My favorite indigenous food? Hmm, well, probably the red chili soup with our Zuni bread. That would probably be my favorite.

Or Chuleya:we, so pozole. But that would definitely be my top two. There's too many I can't pick.

[Lakin]

Do you like your red chili stew hot or mild?

[Malia Ukestine]

Hot. I definitely like it hot.

[Lakin]

Nice. Okay, we're kind of getting to the end of the program here. But did you have a message that you want to leave the audience with here in person, but also listening?

[Malia Ukestine]

I would just say thank you for tuning in with me and showing support. It was great talking about my community and where I came from.

I would also like to see more Native athletes succeed. Just because like I said, we are a small community. And I feel like as a community, we are one.

So definitely just going out there and experiencing the world or going to college, whatever you may do, it's always a good light.

[Lakin]

Nice. So we'll open questions up to the audience here.

[audience member]

Okay. You talked about you spent a lot of time in the training room, then that was like your second home in a way. I bet that was a lot of work.

I actually have two. It's like, what did you what were some like things you did during training? And then I feel like that was a lot of work. So how did you like specifically take care of yourself?

Because you said like, you'd take care of yourself mentally and physically. How did you like really achieve that yourself?

[Malia Ukestine]

Yeah, so like I said, I tore my ACL. So that training went to my knee and just getting it stronger. So we did lots of weightlifting, and just building my knee up back to where it was.

And so after that, some treatment we will do would be ice baths or heating pads. And also we would, I forgot it was like these air compressions where they would go on the legs and just compress your legs. So that was probably one of my favorite ones.

But other than that, for mentally, I would say just going out and just hanging out with my friends and being around my family that really helped me mentally. And even like, even though my family wasn't with me physically, I was, I always knew that they were a call away. So I will always call my family and like just check up on them.

So I would say that really helped me mentally. And just being around like my friends and family.

[audience member]

I know this probably goes into the category of questions that you get a lot. Because you just graduated recently, right with the associate's degree. What are you because you're talking about business and like, what are you hoping to do with your career?

[Malia Ukestine]

Yeah, so I work in the car business.

But right now, I do want to go back to school to go into nursing. So right now I'm just working. But once I go back, I do plan on going into the nursing program to be a travel nurse, RN travel nurse, I do want to travel the world and help people.

So yeah, those are my plans.

[Lakin]

I kind of have a question. Since you work in the car business, do you have a favorite car or dream car?

[Malia Ukestine]

Yeah, Acura TLX.

That'd be my mom's car.

[Lakin]

Okay, cool. That's it, everyone. Thank you all for coming. And thank you guys for tuning in online as well.

[Ranger Jonah]

Grand Canyon Speaks is a program hosted by Grand Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon Conservancy.

A special thanks to Aaron White for the theme music. This recording reflects the personal lived experiences of tribal members and do not encompass the views of their tribal nation or that of the National Park. To learn more about Grand Canyon First Voices, visit www.nps.gov/grca.

Here at Grand Canyon National Park, we are on the ancestral homelands of the 11 associated tribes of the Grand Canyon. These being the Havasupai tribe, the Hualapai tribe, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi tribe, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Yavapai Apache Nation, the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, the Moapa Band of Paiutes, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.