Born to Tito and Bernice Naranjo in 1968 in Santa Clara Pueblo (Tito is from Santa Clara while Bernice is from Taos Pueblo), Dusty grew up in a family steeped in the Santa Clara Pueblo pottery tradition. Among the potters she was surrounded by as a child were her mother Bernice, her grandmother Rose Naranjo, her aunts Jody Folwell, Dolly Naranjo, Nora Naranjo Morse, Tessie Naranjo and cousins Roxanne Swentzel and Susan Folwell. Today she says her work has also been inspired by Jody Naranjo, Tammy Garcia and Henry Moore.
Since graduating from high school she took the time to earn her BA in psychology from New Mexico Highlands University and then earned her MA in Art Therapy.
At the same time, she has spent most of the last 20 years honing her pottery skills and has earned 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons at the prestigious SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. She has also won a 1st place ribbon at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art (in Indianapolis) plus other awards at the Heard Museum (in Phoenix) and the Eight Northern Pueblos Indian Arts and Crafts Show.
Among Dusty's favorite designs are horses, birds and dragonflies. She particularly likes working in the sgraffito (etched) method on pots of her own design. Her pottery shapes and the designs are sometimes inspired by architecture and paintings she has seen recently that touched her in some way.