Miss Navajo Nation Ranisha Begay preserving culture across generations
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Ranisha C. Begay is crowned the 2024-25 Miss Navajo Nation on Sept. 7, 2024, during the 76th Annual Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock.
By Nicholas House
Navajo Times
TÓ ŁIZHIN, N.M. – For Ranisha Chrislyn Begay, the 2024-25 Miss Navajo Nation, the most rewarding part of her reign isn’t the crown or the title. It’s the stories – ancient, powerful, and woven with the wisdom of generations – that she carries across the vast expanse of Diné Bikéyah.
“So far, I think the most rewarding experience is being able to meet all the people, all the communities across the Nation, and share the cultural teachings I was raised with in Rock Point,” Begay said, reflecting on her journey midway through her term. “Allowing them to hear the traditional ways of our life, the teachings that have been passed down—it’s humbling.”
Begay is Nát’oh Dine’é Táchii’nii and born for Ta’neeszahnii. Her maternal grandfather is Kinyaa’áanii, and her paternal grandfather is Yé’ii Dine’é Táchii’nii. She is the daughter of Roderica Descheny and Christopher Begay.
To read the full article, please see the Feb. 13, edition of the Navajo Times.
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Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow