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Show THE NAVAJOS W E S H A L L R E M A I N : U TA H I N D I A N C U R R I C U L U M G U I D E 109 TEACHER BACKGROUND The Miss Navajo Pageant, which began in 1952, demonstrates the ingenuity of the Navajo people. The Navajo Nation has adapted the Euro-American idea of a "pageant" into a competition that gives Navajo young women an opportunity to demonstrate traditional and contemporary skills and their understanding of Navajo language, culture, history, government, and contemporary issues. It is one important way the Navajo people are preserving their culture and transmitting it to new generations. Objecti ve The student will be able to understand how the skills necessary to win the Miss Navajo competition reflect the ingenuity and culture of the Navajo people. Student Materials Rosita Isaac's Miss Navajo Experience Time Frame - versatile Two thirty-minute periods One block period with homework Three standard class periods Teacher Materials At a Glance: The Miss Navajo Pageant and Navajo Culture We Shall Remain: The Navajo (chapter 3, 14:17-chapter 4, 22:07; chapter 5, 25:00) How the Miss Navajo Competition Reflects the Ingenuity of the Navajo Tribe and Its Young Women Additional materials neded "Crowning Miss Navajo," New York Times Magazine, October 8, 2006, available online at http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/home/20001008mag-phenomenon.html. Procedure Ask the students to think about what a pageant is. Have them write a paragraph or two about the qualities it might take to win a pageant and what winning a pageant represents. Using the information provided in the teacher background, and/or if possible, video from the Miss Navajo documentary, introduce the students to the Miss Navajo pageant. Emphasize that the competition is based on knowledge and skills important in Navajo culture. Give the students a copy of the "Crowning Miss Navajo" article and the Rosita Isaac Oral History. Using these materials, have the students write an essay, or create an oral presentation, about what positive contributions such a pageant might have for both the young women participating in it and for the Navajo people as a whole. |