Royalty provide Thanksgiving meal to homeless

FARMINGTON

Some parents and Navajo royalty, boarded two buses to take to the streets of Farmington on Nov. 25 as they gave out bags with dumpling stew, frybread and tortillas to the local homeless people.

For two of the young royalty who took to the streets that day, the project came from a key aspect of their time as Mr. and Miss Farmington High School.

In addition to keeping a focus on Navajo tradition, the pageant culture that produces the princes and princesses encourages what are called platforms that the winners promote during the time they hold a title.

For Miss Farmington High School Deanna Nanibaah Talley, a 14-year-old freshman, and Mr. Farmington High School O’Neil Yazzie, a 15-year-old freshman, that platform is taking care of the homeless.

“It’s something that you want to promote to change while you have a title,” Talley said.

Talley explained why she wanted to help the homeless as the platform.

“I live close to downtown and the area where you usually see the homeless, and you don’t see people getting involved with them,” she said. “They treat them like they’re not human. A lot of them are veterans, and I come from a long line of veterans.”

“Due to everyone treating them like they’re aliens, they alienate them, I just wanted to get involved,” she said.

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