Redhouse, Dee crowned as new Miss Northern Navajo royalty

Posted by Donovan Quintero | Oct 3, 2025 | News |

SHIPROCK

Cheers could be heard at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center Friday night as two young women took their place at the heart of the northern Navajo Nation’s cultural stage.

Amid bright lights, traditional songs and the encouragement of family and friends, Madisyn Redhouse was crowned Miss Northern Navajo Teen and Daeshondria Dee claimed the title of Miss Northern Navajo.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Outgoing Miss Northern Navajo Teen Kaydence Yazzie crowns Madisyn Redhouse of Shiprock the 2025–26 Miss Northern Navajo Teen on Friday evening at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center.

For Redhouse, the moment carried the weight of family, identity and the responsibilities of representing her people.

“Thank you, everybody, for coming and watching and supporting me,” she told the audience. “Thank you, my family. I am proud to be wearing this crown, and I will do my best to give it the best that I can and to help the people.”

Redhouse, from Shiprock, is Táchii’nii and born for Áshįįhí. Her maternal grandfather is Áshįįhí, and her paternal grandfather is Tsi’naajinii.

With grace and sincerity, she accepted the crown and pledged to uphold its meaning. Earlier in the week, she earned multiple honors in the teen competition, including Miss Congeniality, Miss Photogenic and Best Traditional Foods, showing her poise and ability to connect with others.

Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Family members cheer as Madisyn Redhouse, the 2025-26 Miss Northern Navajo Teen is crowned Friday evening at the Phil L. Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock.

On the main stage, Daeshondria Dee of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, reflected on a journey rooted in family, perseverance and dreams for the future. Wearing a royal blue gown in honor of her late uncle, a devoted Dodgers fan, Dee dedicated her coronation speech to loved ones and supporters who guided her path.

“My yazh was my go-to person, somebody that always encouraged me,” she said, her voice steady yet filled with emotion. “I miss him so much, so that’s why tonight I’m wearing blue in honor of him because he was a diehard Dodgers fan.”

Dee is Áshįįhí and born for Hashk’ąą́ Hadzohó. Her maternal grandfather is Bit’ahnii, and her paternal grandfather is Hashtł’ishnii. She shared her pride in having her younger brother, a contestant in the junior rodeo, and other family members in attendance to celebrate her victory.

The newly crowned Miss Northern Navajo spoke about her academic future and platform. Just that same day, she learned she had been accepted to Utah State University, where she plans to pursue nursing and specialize as a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse. Her platform, “Preserving Agriculture Through the Youth,” reflects her work as a 4-H member in Shiprock, where she raises and shows livestock.

“As your newly crowned Miss Northern Navajo, I hope to present my platform to the youth well,” Dee said. “I want youth to be involved in agriculture because agriculture is what keeps us alive. That’s how we’re fed, where we get our meat.”

Her message was also one of pride in the Navajo youth’s care and dedication to raising animals.

“People say agriculture is animal abuse, but it’s not,” she said. “You should see how us 4-H kids take care of our livestock. They’re well taken care of — sometimes better than me.”

The coronation capped off a week of competition that included traditional food presentations, essay contests and displays of cultural knowledge.

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