Touchine crowned as new Miss Gallup Indian Ceremonial Queen
Special to the Times | Lee Begaye
Ceremonial Queen pageant royalty joins together for a photo. They are Bray Brittany Holyan from Fort Defiance; Dusty Rae Smith from Tsaile, Ariz; Tyneesha Lupita Charlie from Coyote Canyon Brimhall, N.M.; Miss Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Queen 2023-24 Destiny Touchine from Window Rock; Naomi Starr Sandoval from Chéch’iltah, N.M.; Tynea Charlie from Coyote Canyon Brimhall; Miss Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Queen 2022-23 Cajaun Cleveland from Pinedale, N.M.
GALLUP – After finishing as the runner-up last year, Window Rock native Destiny Touchine was crowned on Friday evening as the 2023-24 Miss Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Queen.
Special to the Times | Lee Begaye
Destiny Touchine, 24, from Window Rock, during the Native talent contest at the 2023-24 Miss Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Queen pageant
Touchine, 24, is Tábąąhá and born for Tł’ááshchí’í. Her cheii is Naaneesht’ézhí and her nálí is Táchii’nii.
“Friday evening, it honestly didn’t feel real. It felt like a dream,” she said. “I was just so grateful because of how much my family put into it as well. They supported me so much.”
Five contestants entered the competition and competed to the best of their abilities to become the next Ceremonial Queen. All the contestants were Navajo, and they were Tyneesha Lupita Charlie of Coyote Canyon Brimhall, New Mexico; Bray Brittany Holyan of Fort Defiance; Naomi Starr Sandoval of Chéch’iltah, New Mexico; Dusty Rae Smith of Tsaile, Arizona; and Tynea Charlie of Coyote Canyon Brimhall.
The runner-up was Smith, and the second runner-up went to Holyan. The Miss Congeniality title went to Smith, and the Personality Photo Contest Winner was Tynea Charlie.
Read the full story in the Aug. 17 edition of the Navajo Times.
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