CROWNPOINT
The Navajo Nation's Crownpoint Finance and Scholarship
Office has announced the 2003 Chief Manuelito Scholarship awards
for Navajo students.
The
Chief Manuelito Scholarship was established in 1980. Awards are
based on high school grade averages and the ACT/SAT test scores.
Students must have also completed Navajo language and Navajo government
courses.
The
award is worth $7,000 per academic year. Students must maintain
a 3.0 grade point average and carry at least 12 hours of classes
per semester. Students can take up to 10 semesters to complete their
bachelor degrees, making the award worth a potential $35,000. Students
must reapply for the award each year with the tribe demonstrating
they have met the requirements to keep it going for another year,
said Rowena Becenti, director of the Crownpoint office.
The
award comes with a medallion depicting Chief Manuelito, who was
born in the Chuska Mountains in 1818. He successfully evaded the
U.S. Army in the mid-1860s when they were rounding up Navajos and
destroying their homes, livestock and crops. Eventually, Manuelito
was forced to surrender at Ft. Wingate to protect Navajo women and
children.
He
endured the Long Walk and later was one of the signers of the June
1, 1868, treaty with the United States. Then he led his people back
home.
"The
day before we were to start we went a little way toward home, because
we were so anxious to start ... when we saw the top of the mountain
from Albuquerque we wondered if it was our mountain, and we felt
like talking to the ground, we loved it so, and some of the old
men and women cried with joy when they reached their homes,"
Manuelito said.
Manuelito,
of the Bit'aa'nii Clan, lived until 1893. He is reported
to also have said "... my grandchild, education is the ladder.
Tell our people to take it."
The
award recipients and the high school they graduated from are: Connie
L. Ambrose, Ganado High School; Juanita J. Antonio, Ramah High School;
Tristan A. Basham, Coconino High School; Kaylana J. Begay, Chinle
High School; Lyle Begay, St. Michaels High School; Parnell Thomas
Begay, Sinagua High School; Roland C. Bekis-Salt, Monument Valley
High School; Savannah Benally, Shiprock High School; Donavon Billy,
Rehoboth High School; Peterson Brossy, Punahou High School, Hawaii;
Savannah V. Burnside, St. Michaels High School; Ronson Riley Chee,
Sinagua High School; Nathan Chester, St. Michaels High School; Samuel
W. Chief, Monument Valley High School; Mikaela R. Crank, Hawaii
Preparatory Academy and Brandi R. Cron, Gallup High School.
Also
are: Shannon Davis, Chinle High School; Melinda L. Dee, Monument
Valley High School, Utah; Davida B. Delmar, Flagstaff High School;
Chrystal R. Denetclaw, Kirtland Central High School; Verdaleen Denetdale,
St. Michaels High School; Roxanne Denetso, Ganado High School; Cherie
L. DeVore, Crownpoint High School; Ryan R. Dodson, Gallup High School;
Melissa A. Draper, Navajo Preparatory High School; Crystal Dugi,
Tuba City High School; Loni L. Dugi, Greyhills High School; Rachel
Felix, Gallup High School; Lino Footracer, Page High School and
Marisha R. Forster, Valley High School.
Also
included are: Jody Franklin, Farmington High School; Jeremy S. Fuson,
Flagstaff High School; Savannah Gene, Navajo Preparatory High School;
Charmayne Gene, Tuba City High School; Tiffiney D. George, Ogden
High School; Mica R. Gilmore, Monument Valley High School; Brittany
Greymountain, Monument Valley High School; Sheena C. Hale, Sinagua
High School; Christopher R. Hansen, Page High School; Ronelle A.
Hardy, Tuba City High School; John M. Huyser, Window Rock High School;
Marc R. Jackson, Tuba City High School; Shundiin Jakub, Cooperhill
High School; Myron L. James, Ganado High School, Amanda E. John,
Tohatchi High School and Melissa S. Kaye, Flagstaff High School.
In
addition are: Shannon Ann Lee, Coconino High School; James Jarod
Meyers, Tuba City High School; King Paul Mike III, Chinle High School;
Myrond Muskett, Gallup High School; Jamie R. Nez, Page High School;
Carson M. Pete, Ganado High School; Melissa M. Peterson, Ganado
High School; Rudy A. Preston, Tuba City High School; Michael Raphaelito,
Pine Hill High School; Beatriz O. Reyes, Gallup High School; LaTisha
Beth Rico, Navajo Preparatory High School; Nicole Rockwell, Shiprock
High School; Shannon M. Saltclah, Piedra Vista High School; Leatricia
L. Sampson, Thoreau High School and Joby J. Shirley, Chinle High
School.
In
addition are: Jovonna Slivers, Newcomb High School; Allanceson Smith,
Newcomb High School; Mildred M. Smith, Tuba City High School; Daniel
Thomason, Gallup High School; Altoveda Tso, Monument Valley High
School; Heidi L. Tso, Tuba City High School; Lawrence A. Wallen,
Monument Valley High School; Shawna P. Whitehat, Monument Valley
High School; Selesia L. Winston, Magdalena High School; Cody T.
Yazzie, St. Michaels High School and Stanley Yellowhair, Holbrook
High School.
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