Yazzie won the 2015 Miss Indian UNM crown Friday night at Keller Hall. Onawa Lacy-Haynes, a law school alumna and Miss Indian World 2003, hosted the event.

“One should recognize that culture is always going to be changing and the way we do things now is not how they were done 50 years ago and the things that were done 50 years ago were not done 100 years ago,” Yazzie said.

The Miss Indian UNM pageant is a showcase of achieving Native American women and it demonstrated how they practice native culture while pursuing an education.

“We go as native people out into the world are constantly faced with the question of ‘How do we exist?’ and ‘How do we manage to live in two worlds?’ This pageant encourages future and younger generations by showing that you can continue to practice your cultural ways... you don’t have to forget who you are,” Lacy-Haynes said.

During the showcase, the contestants introduced themselves in Navajo, answered impromptu questions regarding their knowledge of their culture and performed a traditional talent.

By performing Navajo music on the piano, an instrument not traditionally used in Navajo culture, Yazzie was able to indigenize classical music, which has never been done before, she said.

“It’s a way to create new and beautiful things that haven’t been created before. I feel as though I am acting as a liaison of two different worlds. Being able to communicate and do well in both is something I want to do,” she said.

Yazzie said her motivation for competing in the pageant was to serve as a role model for Native American youth.

As Miss Indian UNM, she serves as an ambassador for the Native American population within the University, she said.

Melodie Cruz, Miss Indian UNM 2014, organized the pageant and guided the contestants throughout the competition process. As Miss Indian UNM, it is also important to be an advocate for young Native Americans, she said.

“There aren’t a lot of people who speak up, more specifically, Native Americans ... most of us are very quiet and we keep to ourselves and there are issues that we don’t necessarily talk about because we’re too scared or we just don’t have the confidence to do it,” Cruz said.

Yazzie discussed combining her musical talent with the traditional Navajo culture for her application essay, Cruz said. She added that she really enjoys Yazzie’s approach and hopes that she continues with it in the future.

“She’s studying music and she plays the piano a lot. She’s incorporating her culture into her studies,” Cruz said. “If you’re able to do those things at the same time I think that’s something really great because you’re still staying connected to your culture but you’re also exceeding in this world we live in today.”

It’s important for Native American youth to take the initiative in learning their culture to pass it on to future generations in an effort to keep it alive, Cruz said.

“That’s something we need to pass on because as Native people, that’s who we are,” she said. “We are constantly trying to find that balance between our culture and the Westernized culture.”

Khadijah Jacobs is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo