People

The 1977 Coconino High School boys cross-country team that delivered the program’s first Class AA state championship was honored last summer as part of the Flagstaff Sports Foundation Hall of Fame class.

Deandra Jones wraps barbed wire around trees in the Chuska Mountains, places sardines and glazed doughnuts in the center of a square-shaped collection site, then sprays commercial liquid called Bear Lure that smells sweet and fishy. When black bears arrive to investigate the scents, they brush against the wire and leave behind hair samples containing their DNA.

Edison Eskeets, a 66-year-old runner from Springstead, New Mexico, has spent decades preparing for a journey that mirrors one of the most painful chapters in Diné history. Through distance running, ceremony and storytelling, Eskeets retraced the 330-mile route of the Long Walk to honor those who endured the forced march and those who never returned home.

Fourteen-year-old Malaya “Lil Tomahawk” Castillo has built a reputation as one of the strongest young boxers in the Southwest.

Alana Yazzie’s culinary career as The Fancy Navajo, known for bringing Diné culture to millions across the country, actually began with fashion.