Friday, March 29, 2024

New Miss Navajo crown for the new Miss Navajo

New Miss Navajo Ronda Joe smiles after being crowned at the Navajo Nation fair, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016.

New Miss Navajo Ronda Joe smiles after being crowned at the Navajo Nation fair, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016.

WINDOW ROCK

Outgoing Miss Navajo Alyson Shirley stood next to the final two contestants with the crown she wore all year, waiting to see who would succeed her on Saturday night at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena.

When Rodina Jordan from Oak Springs, Arizona was announced first runner up, it became clear Ronda Joe from Rock Point, Arizona would be the next Miss Navajo.

Shirley walked over to an elated Joe and placed the crown on her, as with all previous Miss Navajo coronations.

But then, as Joe smiled to the more than 12,000 in attendance, the Miss Navajo contestants surrounded her and took off the crown Shirley had worn and replaced it with a new one.

Larger than the previous crown, the new one, made by silversmiths Tommy and Marilyn Lowe of Lukachukai, was also more colorful.

The Navajo Nation Seal, painted in yellow, green, blue, and black, was surrounded in turquoise. Atop the seal is a cross; Marilyn Lowe says it represents all religions.

“There are 50 turquoise stones around the seal that represent the fifty states,” Lowe said.

Lowe said she and her husband had little time to create the crown, but luckily they fell back on experience. Her husband had made a Miss Navajo crown in 2007, which was first worn by 2007-2008 Miss Navajo Jonathea Tso from Cove. Other titleholders who have worn the crown Lowe made are Yolanda Charley, Tashina Nelson, and Winifred Bessie Jumbo. Jumbo was the last Miss Navajo who wore the crown from 2010-2011.

Lowe’s crown slightly resembles the first crown he made, except, on this year’s crown, it reads “Miss Navajo,” and not “Miss Navajo Nation.”

According to Office of Miss Navajo program supervisor Dinah Wauneka, the crown cost $2,800 to make.

Unlike the crown Shirley wore, the crown Joe will be wearing depicts stories about the Diné People, Wauneka said. From veterans to the Long Walk, she said the crown illustrates the history of the Diné.

About The Author

Donovan Quintero

"Dii, Diné bi Naaltsoos wolyéhíígíí, ninaaltsoos át'é. Nihi cheii dóó nihi másání ádaaní: Nihi Diné Bizaad bił ninhi't'eelyá áádóó t'áá háadida nihizaad nihił ch'aawóle'lágo. Nihi bee haz'áanii at'é, nihisin at'é, nihi hózhǫ́ǫ́jí at'é, nihi 'ach'ą́ą́h naagééh at'é. Dilkǫǫho saad bee yájíłti', k'ídahoneezláo saad bee yájíłti', ą́ą́ chánahgo saad bee yájíłti', diits'a'go saad bee yájíłti', nabik'íyájíłti' baa yájíłti', bich'į' yájíłti', hach'į' yándaałti', diné k'ehgo bik'izhdiitįįh. This is the belief I do my best to follow when I am writing Diné-related stories and photographing our events, games and news. Ahxéhee', shik'éí dóó shidine'é." - Donovan Quintero, an award-winning Diné journalist, served as a photographer, reporter and as assistant editor of the Navajo Times until March 17, 2023.

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