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Miss Navajo Nation outlines water-rights focus and winter assistance drives
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Summary
Miss Navajo Nation Camille Yewin Tilly said her 2025–26 platform centers on water rights, elder care and Navajo language preservation and announced coal, wood, coat and blanket drives planned for roughly five communities with sponsor support from Navajo Nation Oil and Gas and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.
Camille Yewin Tilly, Miss Navajo Nation 2025–26, told listeners on 4 Directions of Wellness that her platform centers on securing water rights, strengthening elder care and supporting Navajo language learning, and she outlined a series of winter assistance projects across the Navajo Nation.
"My platform is focused around our water rights," Tilly said, describing education for youth and elders about how water-rights negotiations and settlements affect tribal communities. She said some tribal reservations still have unresolved claims that leaders are addressing through litigation or settlement and urged broader community understanding of the stakes.
To address immediate needs, Tilly described plans for a pair of fuel drives and other community events. "First and foremost, we are looking at a coal drive... to 5 communities," she said, adding the team plans one coal drive and one wood drive spaced across roughly two weeks, followed by a turkey trot and food distribution. She also said a coat and blanket drive will run into November and December, and that she is working with chapters and sponsors. "We will be able to work with Navajo Nation Oil and Gas and then with Navajo Tribal Utility Authority," she said.
Tilly, 25, who said she is from Kenilichi, Arizona, discussed how her education shaped her platform. She described taking a water law course at Fort Lewis College and said the class helped her see how water connects upstream and downstream users and why securing quantities for tribes can involve negotiations over large acre-foot amounts (she described those amounts metaphorically as "football acres").
Looking ahead, Tilly said she plans to pursue graduate study that combines environmental studies with mapping and GIS skills to examine landscape, water and development. "I really want our children to understand and really enjoy the Navajo language," she added, tying cultural and environmental work together.
She closed by addressing young people directly: "You can always lean back on your parents, your family, and you're not doing this alone," Tilly said, urging curiosity, mentorship and the passing of elders' stories.
Tilly was crowned Sept. 6 at the Window Rock Fairgrounds during the Navajo Nation Fair and said she will spend her year visiting communities, schools, senior centers and universities. The program concluded with thanks from host Diswood and the guest.
