WINDOW ROCK

If you are a fan of the Miss Navajo fry bread-making contest, expect not to see it this year.

History, though, tells a very different story about survival and learning what flour was used for. Emerson John, a cultural specialist at Tséhootsooi Medical Center, said the Navajo people who were held captive at Bosque Redondo in Ft. Sumner, New Mexico, ate the flour, uncooked, that was given to them as part of their rations.

It took them a while to figure out that something called “bread” could be made with it.

Eventually, after learning how to make bread, they began experimenting what other types of bread they could make. Soon, they placed the kneaded dough into melted sheep fat, and fry bread was born.

Even sheep was not considered to be a part of Diné beliefs, John said. “In the horse prayer songs, the wild mountain sheep were sung about. The song also included the sheep,” he said. “Ever since then, the fry bread and the sheep became a part of the Navajo diet.”

John said sheep fat and fry bread weren’t bad for diet.

It’s not known when fry bread became an official competition category, but its inclusion has become a favorite part of the Miss Navajo contest to watch. But this year, it will not be part of the competition.

The bread-making contest is usually held right after the butchering contest, which will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at the Hazel Yazza Pavilion at the fairgrounds. This year, current Miss Navajo Nation Ronda Joe said traditional Navajo foods will be prepared and presented by the contestants.

Each of the contestants randomly chose an item they’ll be making after the butchering contest is done.