Meet the 6 young women competing to be Miss Navajo Nation 2024-25

By Nicholas House
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK

The coveted Miss Navajo Nation competition is next month, and Miss Navajo Amy Naazbah Reeves-Begaye will crown a new titleholder.

The Miss Navajo competition celebrates Diné culture, language, and tradition, bringing together young Diné women for the ultimate crown. The contestants are from Diné Bikéyah, and their teachings and interests are varied.

Meet the six young women competing for the 2024-25 Miss Navajo Nation pageant.

Kiana Omi Toadlena, 24

Kiana Toadlena is Naakaii Dine’é and born for Táchii’nii. Her maternal grandfather is Tódích’íi’nii, and her paternal grandfather is Kiyaa’áanii. She is from Sawmill, Arizona. She is the daughter of Erin Toadlena-Pablo and Jonathan Pablo.

Toadlena aspires to be the voice for Diné youth now that she’s home after being away at school and work.

“I found a lot of inspiration in building myself back into my culture,” Toadlena said. “That’s what really motivated me to want to run for Miss Navajo Nation.”  

She draws her inspiration from her mother, Erin Toadlena-Pablo, the Gallup Police chief, who has been in law enforcement since Kiana was born.

“Seeing her journey, becoming (the police chief), was my biggest inspiration,” said Toadlena, whose hobbies are reading novels and fiction books, music, and working out to build mentality.

Toadlena studied health science in college. Her work comprises laboratory medicine and pathology. “I have a lot of experience working with patients and just a ton of different stipulations,” she said. “It ties in as far as being out in the community providing empathy, understanding, and just listening. I have a passion for just helping people. I would like to contribute that to this role.”

The examples in Toadlena’s life are her mother, Erin, and grandmother – her two “biggest” supporters. “I also feel that my entire family as a whole were kind of expecting this. But it did catch them by surprise.”

Toadlena has held three school pageant titles: the Tséhootsooí Diné Bi’ólta Little Queen, the Miss Tséhootsooí Middle School, and Miss Window Rock High School.

“I definitely feel like my experience in school – at an immersion school – helped a lot,” Toadlena said. “A lot of my childhood experiences also what drove me to run for Miss Navajo.”

Toadlena believes the difficult part of the Miss Navajo pageant will be the no contact with her family members. Her platform focuses on mental health and domestic violence awareness.

“I definitely feel it’s a topic of discussion where people don’t really want to talk about it or provoke the conversation,” Toadlena said. “In doing so, I would like to hear stories, tell their stories and just be of any support I can be.”

She added, “I’m really thankful attending Tséhootsooí Diné Bi’ólta. I owe a lot of my success to that school. Just being an alumna of that school. I’m so proud.”

Ranisha Chrislyn Begay, 23

Ranisha Begay is Nát’oh Dine’é Táchii’nii and born for Ta’neeszahnii. She is from Rock Point, Arizona. 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.

Ranisha Begay aspires to reach out to Diné in the Navajo Nation and share her acquired knowledge.

“And continue to share that and to inform people about our culture and our language,” she explained. “Just keep it going––keep moving it forward into the next generation.”

Her platform focuses on hane’ that have guided and helped Diné to this day.

“And within those stories, teachings,” Begay said. “We have a lot of elders who tell us stories and we learn from those. And they guide us through our life.

“I just want to share that with our other people,” she said. “Have people share their stories, share my own story about what I’ve learned. Every story is different, so it’s good to hear different perspectives.”

Begay’s late great-great-grandmother shines like a beacon in her life. She says her great-great-grandmother taught language and culture before she passed on at an old age.

“That’s also someone who I want to be,” Begay said. “I want to be able to learn my language, learn my culture, learn the stories and everything.

“And just continue to follow her path,” she added. “That’s where I branch from my great-great-grandma to my grandmother to my mother and then me.”

Begay’s nálí side of the family, her paternal grandparents, also taught her well growing up.

“Being part of the Rock Point community, I know they influenced me a lot,” she explained. “I’ve been part of the community since I was born. I was involved with a bunch of things at my school where I was able to connect with my community.”

Begay held one school pageant title: Little Miss Rock Point, where she was a student-athlete, and participated in song and dances, and tradition. “Everything all together, the Rock Point community impacted my learning environment of where I’m from and my culture and how I can carry that on with me as I move forward in my life,” Begay said. “I’m really proud of that. I’m proud to come from Rock Point and have them influence the person I am today.”

She believes the challenging part of the competition will be the first day, during the sheep-butchering/traditional food competition. “That’s all in one day,” Begay said. “Butchering is a whole ordeal. Following that, we’re gonna have four types of food that we’re gonna make.

“It’s also gonna be out in public where people are gonna be watching us for the first time,” she added. “That’s a little nerve-racking but I’m excited. So, it has always been in the back of my mind, considering running for Miss Navajo.”

Dayhenoa Ch’ikeeh Nizhoonii Yazzie, 20

Dayhenoa Yazzie is Kinłichíi’nii and born for Tábąąhá. Her maternal grandfather is Bit’ahnii, and her paternal grandfather is Kinyaa’áanii. She is from Tsébii’ndzisgaii and originally from Lók’aa’ Haagai, Arizona. She is the daughter of Victoria Yazzie and Francis Yazzie III.

Dayhenoa grew up around former Miss Navajo Nation titleholders who not only radiated grace and poise but also carried their Diné teachings and traditions.

“Being in that environment of Miss Navajo and learning from other Miss Navajo (titleholders) who became caretakers,” said Yazzie, whose mother, Victoria, is the 1999-2000 Miss Navajo Nation. “I became their daughter as well. I wanted to embrace their legacy and be part of what I saw Miss Navajo to be: being within the community, bringing smiles to our elders

“As a young girl, looking up to Miss Navajo––just really seeing how graceful and beautiful she was – a Diné asdzáá, I wanted that for myself,” she explained. “And just really, to be a young person to speak for our communities. That’s why I want to be Miss Navajo.”

Dayhenoa’s mother and their family are what motivated her to run for the Miss Navajo Nation title, which represents ambition, community, Diné history, milestones, and other things. It was because of their teachings, that she aspires to be a community leader, which isn’t always an easy job. Dayhenoa knows she’s capable of being an effective leader backed by the community.

“My role model is my mother,” Dayhenoa said about Victoria, who has a doctorate in education. “I remember being a young person and seeing her go to school and raise me and my sisters. At that young age, I didn’t understand the hardship that she burdened. She was also a single mother.”

Dayhenoa sees her mother as a strong role model and a resilient person who gave her children the “best” childhood, inspiring them to stand up for what they believe in and to believe in themselves.

“And to find that strength within our clans, within where we come from,” she said. “I looked up to her and really, all I’ve ever wanted (was) to be like my mother.”

Dayhenoa lives in a traditional hogan and helps her family raise livestock. She believes her way of life has helped her to become the young woman she is today and believes she can channel that to the Navajo communities.

She teaches that sa’ą naagháí bik’eh hózhóón, the essence of harmony and peace, gaal sin, and Diné bizaad move people forward. She says in Navajo, “Tá’dídíín bikéé’góó yikahdóó. Éí noosélí bee na’nishtin doo.”

Dayhenoa explains that the Diné teachings, the Diné emergence, clans, songs, and prayers make up her platform.

“There are so many people in this world who struggle in their own way,” Dayhenoa said. “I feel like being Miss Navajo, we are the light within the community. And really, I just want to advocate to young people and to our communities and to our people that we need to find that balance within ourselves: sa’ą naagháí bik’eh hózhóón.”

She added, “In that way, we can find how to balance our mental health, our physical health, our emotional, our mental, even our social health––how we interact with others. That’s my platform.”

She’s held four pageant titles: Western Navajo Fair Baby Princess, Miss Eva B. Stokely Elementary School (Shiprock), Miss Kayenta Middle School, and Miss Western Navajo 2022-23.

She believes the toughest part of the Miss Navajo Nation competition will be the sheep-butchering and the traditional knowledge and talents because that’s where judges will learn about the contestants’ background and learn about their teachings as a Diné woman.

Taneesha Francis, 19

Taneesha Francis is Tséńjíkiní and born for Yoo’ó Dine’é Tódích’íi’nii. Her maternal grandfather is Tó’aheedlíinii, and her paternal grandfather is Áshįįhí. She is from Fish Point, Arizona. She is the daughter of Thomacina Francis and the late Jayce Francis.

Taneesha Francis looks up to her mother and sister, Speaker Crystalyne Curley, the 2011-12 Miss Navajo Nation.

“When I was younger, she (Curley) was always encouraging me and supporting me every way that she can,” said Francis, who’s running for the Miss Navajo Nation title to share her family’s teachings.

Her platform focuses on humanitarian action, Missing and Murdered Indigenous People and domestic violence awareness, and the Diné youth because “that’s where everything starts.”

This year’s Miss Navajo Nation pageant is Francis’s first-ever pageant, at which she believes the business interview competition will be challenging.

“When I was growing up, I knew I wanted to become Miss Navajo,” Francis said. “And growing up, around junior high and at the beginning of high school, I lost it (drive to run for Miss Navajo Nation). I didn’t want to run anymore, so I volunteered at two of the (sheep-butchering competitions during the Navajo Nation Fair). The contestants, and the former Miss Navajo Nation titleholders, and my sister’s staff, they really encouraged me to run.”

Taneesha says she took a year off from school to help her family with livestock and to learn more about the Diné culture in preparation for the Miss Navajo Nation pageant this year.

“I do plan on going back to school for communication – journalism,” she added.

Niaomi Ranae Benally, 18

Niaomi Benally is Tł’ááshchí’í and born for Bit’ahnii. Her maternal grandfather is Tódích’íi’nii, and her paternal grandfather is Táchii’nii. She is from Black Mesa, where she calls White Grass, Arizona, home. She is the daughter of Lyncia Russell and Darrell Benally.

Niaomi Benally recently graduated from Monument Valley High in Kayenta. She’s looked up to former Miss Navajo Nation titleholders, noticing their grace, poise, and leadership.

“The former Miss Navajo Shaandiin Parrish (the 2019-2021 Miss Navajo Nation and the Budget and Finance Committee chair), I saw how she is with representing her community (Navajo Mountain, Utah, and Kayenta). I want to do the same,” said Niaomi Benally, who credits one of her grandmothers for encouraging her to run for the prestigious title. “But mostly, my influence, in who I want to be, would be my uncle, his name is Donovan Russell.”

Her uncle, Donovan, taught her and the young people in their family about the Diné culture and how to speak Navajo. Donovan, who’s fluent in the language, taught the children how to introduce themselves and told them stories not shared anymore.

“I want to be just like him,” Benally said, adding that other members of her family are also her supporters.

She is running for Miss Navajo Nation to show her younger sisters that anything is possible if there is passion.

“They (siblings) always looked up to me, telling me they want to be just like me,” she said. “Not only in sports––but now they know I’m running for Miss Navajo. They come up to me saying, ‘I want to be Miss Navajo.’

“When we’re butchering or talking about stories, they ask me questions. (And if I don’t know), I say, ‘We can ask our yáázh, Donovan.’ I’m learning, I’m learning. My whole family is helping me run for the title,” she added.

The Miss Navajo Nation pageant is Benally’s first pageant. Her platform focuses on advocating for children.

“I might be young too, but I would like to start leadership programs at schools and have them (young people) come to (the Miss Navajo Nation office) when we’re having meetings,” Benally said. “(As Miss Navajo), I want them to be at the meetings so they can hear (discussions) because they’re part of our future.”

Benally believes the challenging part of the Miss Navajo Nation competition will be the skills and talent competitions in front of an audience.

“Just kind of nervous,” she said. “But more excited to show who I am as a person.”

Benally believes she’s a confident and outgoing person. She says playing Mustangs volleyball and softball have prepared her for the pageant.

“So, I would be OK to demonstrate or show everything to the public. Especially for the butchering. I know that there will be a lot of people. But I’m very confident and very brave,” Benally added.

Quandinna Cheyanne Begay, 23

Quandinna Begay is Honágháahnii and born for Caddo Kiowa. Her maternal grandfather is Mą’ii Deeshgiizhnii and her paternal grandfather is Mississippi Choctaw. She is from Many Farms, Arizona.

Begay was not available for an interview with the Navajo Times on Aug. 8.

Read more in the Aug. 15, edition of the Navajo Times.

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