Begay praised, lambasted for one-word prayer

By Cindy Yurth and Donovan Quintero
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK

Seems like every Navajo on the reservation has weighed in on former Arizona State senator Carlyle Begay’s Diné Bizaad prayer at Donald Trump’s inauguration last Saturday.

Asked to give a Navajo blessing, Begay basically sang the word “hozho” over and over, angering some Navajos who pointed out that there are many eloquent Diné prayers he could have used that contain way more than one word.

Reactions on social media were predictably brutal.

“Bahahahahahaha!!!! My first reaction. But in all seriousness. The worst. Who does that?? No, just no,” ranted one Facebook user.

“Just heard Carlyle Begay’s prayer,” posted another. “*slaps forehead* omg someone help your relative.”

Navajo activist Klee Benally coined the hashtags “notsohozho” and “begaygate” – and those were some of the kinder ones.

Let’s not even talk about the memes.

But there were those who pointed out that, minimalist as it was, the prayer represented the first time a Navajo has been called upon to bless a presidential inauguration, and the tribe should be proud.

Observed Council Delegate Leonard Tsosie (Littlewater/Pueblo Pintado/Torreon/Whitehorse Lake/Baca/Brewitt/Casamero Lake/Ojo Encino/Counselor), speaking in a mixture of Navajo and English, tribal members should take note “that a Navajo word, and a Navajo song, no matter how small, was used at a national prayer service for the first time in the history of this Nation and the United States.”

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