Four Diné women named grand marshals of 77th Navajo Nation Fair parade

By Donovan Quintero and Krista Allen
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK

Four Diné women whose work spans fashion, rodeo, education and decades of service will lead the 77th Annual Navajo Nation Fair parade as grand marshals on Sept. 6 in Window Rock.

Virginia Yazzie-Ballenger, a fashion designer, is known for velvet creations that draw on traditional Navajo clothing while incorporating contemporary elements. Organizers said her work “continues to celebrate and preserve the cultural identity of the Navajo people.” She will be joined by Alta A. Bowman, a longtime finance leader for the fair; Dolly Manson, an educator and language advocate; and Danielle Lowman, a professional breakaway roper who has competed at the sport’s highest level.
The lineup brings four distinct paths to the front of the parade.

Yazzie-Ballenger on tradition, innovation

Yazzie-Ballenger is Haltsooí and born for Bit’ahnii. Her maternal grandfather is Tódích’íi’nii, and her paternal grandfather is Tsi’naajinii.

She said every collection starts from the same place. “My work always begins with respect for our traditional Navajo garments – their shapes, meanings and the stories woven into them,” she said.

Images of women in cotton velveteen blouses “adorned with butterfly pins, domed mercury dimes, and fluted sterling silver buttons, paired with their tiered calico cotton skirts” guide her eye. She carries those motifs forward “by working with velvet fabrics and incorporating pintuck stitching as much as possible.”

At the same time, she said, “our culture is living, not frozen in the past,” so she blends historical elements “with contemporary details, modern fabrics and new silhouettes” to show “that Navajo fashion continues to grow and evolve.”

She added, “When people see my work, I hope they recognize both the timeless beauty of Navajo tradition and the creativity that keeps it alive today.”

Visibility, for her, carries obligation. Fashion is “one of the most immediate and visible ways to share who we are as Navajo people,” she said, and that public stage requires her to be “authentic, respectful and true to our traditions.” Early roles – “holding five different Indian Queen titles,” including Miss Indian New Mexico in 1980 – showed her how much meaning clothing carries. A Southwestern Association for Indian Arts fellowship at Santa Fe Indian Market gave her “the confidence to pursue fashion full-time,” and shows in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Moscow and Yakutsk, Russia, reminded her that “Navajo culture speaks a universal language.”

To read the full article, please see the Sept. 4, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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