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THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011
PAGE C-5
Iii111111111111 I I lillll I I II II IIIIII IIIIII
Shambrica Thomas, 11, the 2011-12 Rock Point Veterans Organization
princess.
Thomas crowned Rock Point
veterans' princess
ROCK POINT, Ariz. - Shambrica
Thomas, 11, was named Rock Point
Veterans Organization princess for
2011-12 in a pageant held March 5
at the Rock Point Chapter House.
She was crowned by the outgoing
princess, CodyAnn Lewis, 13.
Shambrica is TibaaM (Edge
Water Clan), born for Kinyaa'tanii
(Towering House Clan). Her chei is
Bit'ahnii (Folded Arms Clan) and
her nalf is Kinlichfi'nii (Red House
Clan).
She is a sixth-grader at Navajo
Jo Ti00xs
II I I IIIIII IIIIIIIIII Hill I[111111 I I IIIII I II I II II II
The recipient of the Public Citizen of the Year award, Officer Gladys Antone, poses Feb. 23 with her
daughters, Ramona Antone, left, and Specialist Kansas Antone, right. (Courtesy photo)
Lutheran Mission School in Rock
Point and is the daughter of Yvette
Begay and Ray Thomas.
Her maternal grandparents are
Alice Mae Tsosie and the late
Nealwood T. Begay Sr. of Rock
Point. Her paternal grandparents
are Leonard and Jewel Thomas of
Dennehotso. Ariz.
First runner-up in the pageant
was Shinaya Lewis, 16, and second
runner-up was Zimora Lewis. 5.
Both are sisters to the 2010-11
princess, CodyAnn Lewis.
They are Hashk'aa, Hadzoh6
(Yucca Fruit in a Line Clan), born
for 'Ashiihf (Salt Clan). Their chei
is T6 Ahinf (Near to Water Clan)
and their mill is Haltsoof Dine'6
"(Meadow People Clan).
The Lewis girls attend Rock
Point Community School and are
the daughters of Genevieve Yazzie
of Rock Point. Their maternal
grandparents are Johnson andAnnie
H. Yazzie of Rock Point.
RPVO enjoyed working with
Cody and her family. Thank you
Cody for representing the armed
forces veterans of Rock Point. You
did a wonderful job!
The organization would also like
to thank the parents, grandparents
and community members. It is
always nice to see your support
during Memorial Day and Veterans
Day.
RPVO is excited to start working
with the new princess, Shambrica
Thomas, and her family. We know
that she will do her best to represent
the armed forces veterans of Rock
Point.
For information about the
princess: Call Irene Begay at 928-
659-4294 or Michelle Tsosie at
928-209-2236. For information
about RPVO, leave a message at
928-659-4350.
Antone named public
citizen of the year
ALBUQUERQUE - The New
Mexico Chapter of the National
Association of Social Workers
on Feb. 23 named Navajo Nation
Police Officer Gladys Antone its
New Mexico Public Citizen of the
I
Year, according to a news release
from the association.
The award recognizes people
outside the field of social work
who have made extraordinary
contributions to New Mexico
families and children.
Antone Specializes in child abuse
and neglect cases. She is based in the
Crownpoint District and her territory
includes McKinley and parts of San
Juan counties.
She also has played a key role in
strengthening relations between law
enforcement, schools and the public.
Antone began her 24-year law
enforcement career at age 20, earning
$2.10 an hour. She took the advice
of Police Capt. Edmund Henry
Sr., a Navajo Code Talker and her
supervisor at the time; and enrolled
in the police academy.
She eventually rose to the rank of
sergeant and also served 12 years as a
paramedic with the Navajo Nation's
Emergency Medical Services and as
an officer with the McKinley County
Sheriff's Department.
Among the acts that led to her
being chosen for the award:
• Handling an intoxicated person
with respect and compassion after he
became belligerent towards another
officer.
• Acting quickly to rescue a family
from inadequate housing during a
heavy rainfall, finding resources to
establish the family in a hotel and
eventually a better home.
• Securing clothing, shelter and
food for a family she found living
in a vehicle.
Antone is knowledgeable in
tribal, state and federal laws and
is commissioned by several law
enforcement agencies.
A single parent of five, Antone is a
member of Mothers Against Drunk
Drivers and also has donated her
time to the Marine Corps Toys for
Tots Program.-
Renown drum group returns to the rez
BY JAN-MIKAEL PATTERSON
NAVAJO TtMF.,S
WINDOW ROCK - The White
Eagle Singers, a well-knowri and
respected northern style drum
group, is coming back to the heart
of the Navajo Reservation this
weekend as the host northern drum
for the "Honoring Dr. Joe Shirley
Jr. Contest Powwow" in Chinle.
The powwow, organized by Jay
Begaye of the Cathedral Lakes
Singers, will take place Friday
and Saturday at the Wildcat Den,
with the Roanhorse Singers as host
southern drum.
"This is really exciting," said
Arlie Neskahi, lead singer of White
Eagle. "This is going to be a re-
gathering, a reunion. Most of the
singers are from the Southwest.
The singers that are coming to the
pow)vow are the singers from the
'70s and '80s. It's very exciting."
Neskahi noted that there have
been reunions that have taken place
over the years but this will be the
first in a long time since the group
will be back on Navajo.
"It's humbling to be asked to
honor a leader of the great Navajo
Nation," he said.
Neskahi family
The White Eagle singers are a
renowned group that originated
in Cortez, Colo., starting out as
a family group in 1974. Original
members are the children of the late
Allan Neskahi Jr. and Mary Neskahi.
The children are the late Alroy
Neskahi, the late Albert Neskahi, Art
Neskahi; the late Andrew Neskahi,
Allan Carl Neskahi III, Arlie and
Aaron Neskahi.
Arlie became lead singer while
he was in high school, and then
moved to Durango where he went
-to college, From there he moved to
Oregon with his wife and children.
Now he resides in Bellevue, Wash.
Although the group began as
an all-Navajo group, singers from
various tribes also participated in
the singing. It was in the 1980s
when the group traveled throughout
Indian Country and Canada where
they began composing many songs
in Navajo.
It's within the song compositions
that earned the group respect
• because Navajo words used in the
compositions are the same terms
and phrases used in Navajo prayers.
Singers like Jay Begaye, Larry
Watchman, Freddy Yazzie and Art
Cleveland contributed to the group's
songs with original compositions.
'Heart Butte Special'
One song, "Heart Butte Special,"
was composed by the group during
their years at Fort Lewis College.
"We were practicing at the
intercultural center at Fort Lewis
College," Arlie said. "We had
this one song that we couldn't
remember and we thought if we
learned different parts of the song,
we could sing "it to one another so
it would click."
The group was at a powwow in
Heart Butte, Mont., when they were
called upon to sing an honor song for
a special for Gary Comes at Night.
So they sang the song, which was
untitled at the time'. Arlie and the
singers noted to Comes at Night
that the song was given to him.
At the same powwow another
drum group, the Porcupine Singers
of South Dakota, recorded the song.
Later they recorded that song on a
cassette tape and named it "Heart
Butte Special."
White Eagle ang the song for
two years. During that time the
song traveled. Then at one powwow,
a lady approached and dropped
money on the drum. She then
went to the microphone and spoke,
indicating that the song was given
to her family as an honor song by
the Porcupine Singers.
And, she added, the song
shouldn't be sung because it was
a family song.
The right to speak
Arlie and Rudy Shebala were
sitting at the drum listening and
knew something had to be said.
"We knew something had to be
said because we had the right to
speak," Aflie said. "So we went up
the microphone and acknowledged
the family. Then we said that we
originally composed the song as a
powwow song for everyone. She got
mad. ,Years went by and I always
wanted to know the story about
that."
The Porcupine Singers were at a
powwow in Warm Springs, Ore.,
and Arlie approached Severt Young
Bear about the song. That was where
Young Bear. told him that the song
would always get an eagle whistle
and there was only so much eagle
whistles you can take for. a song
otherwise it could hurt the drum
group spiritually.
That was when Arlie realized that
the song was recorded by a member
of the Porcupine Singers at the Heart
Butte Powwow. The song was given
as a gift by the White Eagle Singers
in a special, hence the name "Heart
Butte Special."
At the Gathering of Nations
Powwow at the New Mexico state
fairgrounds rodeo arena, a little girl
went up to Arlie and told him her
mother would like to speak with
him. It turned out to be the niece of
the lady who got angry with White
Eagle Singers for singing the Heart
Butte Special.
"The girl told me that her brother
died and that was his favorite song,"
Arlie recalled. "She said that her
brother always loved to sing that
song and would only sing that song
because he knew it well enough to
lead. She said that he loved to sing
with the Porcupine Singers. She said
that was why they sang the song."
Other drums
Many singers that have sang with
White Eagle Singers have gone on
to lead other respected drums like
Begaye of Cathedral Lakes. And
to this day it's a rare occasion for
people not to hear about White
Eagle and their song compositions.
Respected and famous drums
like Cathedral Lakes, Blacklodge,
Stoney Park, Southern Thunder,
Eyabay, Red Bull, and Red Leaf
Takoja have recorded White Eagle's
songs.
Lead singer Arlie Neskahi, of the White Eagle Singers, originally from Cortez, Colo., currently resides in
Bellvue, Wash. The White Eagle Singers be at the Honoring Dr. Joe Shirley Jr. Contest Powwow in Chinle
Friday and Saturday. (Courtesy photo)