Miss Native American for 2014-15 is April Brannon Yazza, 19, a student at Fort Lewis College.
Yazza, from the Zuni and Navajo tribes, was crowned at the third annual Miss Native American USA Pageant in Tempe, Arizona.
Yazza is studying graphic design with a minor in entrepreneurship and small business management. She graduated from West Mesa High School in 2013.
Yazza, who is from Mentmore, New Mexico, received a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis just as she started college. She changed her diet to help ease the pain.
Over the summer, she was a resident assistant for family housing. When classes resume, she will be an orientation leader, welcoming freshmen and their families to the campus.
Herald Staff
