PHS senior named Miss Ramah Navajo

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

Vanessa Frank, Miss Ramah Navajo 2007-2008. [Photo by Natasha Kaye Johnson/Independent]

PINEHILL — Becoming the Miss Ramah Navajo 2007-2008 is another accomplishment that 17-year-old Vanessa Frank can add to her list of successes.

The Pinehill High School senior was announced the winner of the title at the 15th Annual Navajo Ramah Fair Saturday evening.

Frank is already an active student and community member, participating in number activities from student council, student court, Ramah Navajo Student Board, to athletics like volleyball and basketball.

Her clan is the Salt Clan, born for the Tangle People. Her maternal grandfathers are of the Under the Sleeves People, and her paternal grandfathers are Bitter Water. Her parents are Ruby and Eddie Hosteen, and her biological father is Robert Nelson.

Frank credits her grandfather, Albert Frank, for influencing her to run.

“I wanted to be a role model for the little kids,” she said.

For her modern talent, Frank talked about the dangers of drugs and alcohol to young children. Her traditional talent was talking about corn pollen.

“You can use it any time, to bless people with it, use it at squaw dances,” Frank said. “I learned a lot about it from my grandpa.”

Frank plans to share the knowledge she has learned about her culture with children, like the importance of knowing their clan. She also wants to begin beautifying the chapter house by helping to bring in grass for the chapter.

The most challenging part of the pageant for Frank was speaking Navajo.

“I just said everything in my heart the best I can,” she said. “I understand Navajo, but there is certain words I need to work on to make a sentence.”

It was Franks first time in a pageant, but she was able beat out Brooke Garcia a 22-year-old University of New Mexico student. But Frank had only positive things to say about her competitor.

“She’s a great person, a great leader,” she said. “She knows what she’s doing and she did an awesome job.”

The experience was emotional for her family.

“I cried,” said her father Eddie Hosteen. ”I was really happy. I just pictured her as a kid.”

Her mother Ruby said she was excited for her daughter.

“She had a lot of support from the community,” she said.

Frank feels strongly that the crown will push her to improve her Navajo, and give her an opportunity to polish her speaking skills, so that she can become more prepared to be a juvenile lawyer.

“There are little kids out there that need help,” she said. ”We need to hear their side of the story instead of putting them in detention.”

Frank has her eye on the Gates Millennium Scholarship and plans to attend the University of Oklahoma next fall.

“It’s making a big change in my life again,” Frank said. “I’m becoming more mature.”