Miss Navajo, c. 1980
Digital photograph on Canon glossy photographic paper, 14 x 11 in, NFS
This young woman from Big Mountain, AZ proudly wears the crown proclaiming her Miss Navajo, a title she earned in either a local contest or in the Navajo Nation’s competition. To qualify for this honor, she had to have graduated from high school, and demonstrated various skills in Navajo arts and culture—such as shearing and butchering sheep, weaving, and the ability to speak Diné Bizaad, the Navajo language. Her highly prized turquoise jewelry is known as “fallen skystone,” and symbolizes success.