Fifty years ago in late summer, a young Navajo woman could merely
show up at the Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock, Arizona,
stand on the stage with 20 or so other young Navajo
girls, and by audience applause, be selected Miss Navajo
Nation. There were no responsibilities and her reign
was nothing more than ceremonial.
Over the years, the leaders
of the Navajo Nation realized the potential of this
position. They envisioned this as an opportunity
to help preserve their culture, share it with others
within the Navajo Nation, as well as across America
and even the world.
Today, when a young woman
receives the title, she is expected to honor her people
as a goodwill ambassador through a full-time paid position.
Getting there however is no easy task and each year
it becomes more difficult to find qualified candidates
to complete for this unique opportunity to serve her
people.
Unlike so many other
pageants across America, this pageant is less about
beauty than preserving a culture. Contestants must be
fluent in both Navajo and English and knowledgeable
about their culture. They must demonstrate traditional
skills that have been passed down from generation to
generation.
There are many pageants
held across the United States. But ask anyone who has
heard of the Miss Navajo pageant, and they will tell
you, there is none like it. The young women who
compete will tell you there is nothing like it. They
will tell you it is one of the hardest things they have
ever done in their life. It is something they have thought
about doing since they were little girls. The contestants
will tell you they don't think they are competant enough
to compete, but have finally mustered the courage to
do so after many years of dreaming of the day they would.
They have tried hard to honor their parents and grandparents
in learning as much as they could about their culture.
Only three young women
felt worthy enough to compete in 2002, the smallest
pageant in its 50-year history. In the weeks leading
up the to pageant, storyteller John Goheen spent time
with all three candidates; getting to know them and
learning the details and reasons behind why they were
competing. Granted full access by pageant organizers,
Goheen captured not only what happens behind-the-scenes,
but also what each girl is thinking and experiencing
during the weeklong festivities that included interviews
in the Navajo language and butchering sheep. You will
discover the history of the pageant and meet the second
Miss Navajo, as she tells her story of how she won the
title half a century ago. You will spend time with the
current Miss Navajo; find out what her year was like
and how it changed her life and that of others. You
will experience the inner workings of this unique pageant
and go through the day-to-day life of these three young
women.
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