John and Jenny Fulton

Real International Princesses: Navajo Princess Beulah

By Jenny Fulton

Introduction

My book, An International Princess Alphabet Primer, features princesses from countries and cultures around the world. Each character is named after a real person. These are their stories.

Because the alphabet book was written for young kids, the biographies I’m sharing are short, child-friendly, often rose-tinted summaries.

Navajo Princess Beulah

Navajo Princess Beulah is named for Dr. Beulah Melvin Allen, the first Miss Navajo pageant winner.

On a special day every year, little girls in schools across the Navajo Nation dress in their prettiest traditional clothing and compete to be named their school’s Navajo Princess. The winner competes at progressively higher levels.

The biggest competition is the Miss Navajo Nation Pageant for women 18-25 years old. It takes place at the Navajo Nation Fair and lasts for several days. Contestants are judged on their clothing and appearance, but that’s just a small part of it. What’s more important is how well they speak Navajo, understand Navajo culture, and perform traditional and modern skills. It’s described as a pageant “of beauty found within oneself.”

The first Miss Navajo was Beulah Margaret Melvin, born to the Bitter Water Clan for the Red Running Into The Water Clan. She was born on July 19, 1937. Her mom was a nurse at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital.

The first Miss Navajo Pageant was held in 1952. Beulah was 23 years old. The contest was much  different than it is now. Beulah and the other women stood on stage in front of nearly 10,000 people. The audience cheered as the announcer introduced each contestant. The one they clapped for the most was declared the winner. They loved Beulah and she was officially crowned the first Miss Navajo.

The next year, Beulah decided to go to college to get a medical degree. She received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and later, in 1981, she received her doctorate from the University of Arizona College of  Medicine. This made Beulah one of the first Navajo doctors.

Throughout her career, she helped create and bring Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to the Navajo Nation. She trained the EMT’s so they could respond quickly when there was a problem and better help hurting people.

Patients were Beulah’s top priority. She worked hard to make sure they wouldn’t have to wait so long when they came into the clinic. In more recent years, she served as the President of the Board of Directors for Project Venture, an organization that works with Native youth to support and help them develop healthy lifestyles and make a positive impact on their communities. 

Other Princess Bios

Works Cited

“Beulah Melvin Allen.” Wikipedia; Accessed Nov. 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beulah_Melvin_Allen

Carey, Harold Jr. “Beulah Allen, Navajo Medical Doctor, First Miss Navajo.” Navajo People; Feb. 20, 2013. https://navajopeople.org/blog/beulah-allen-navajo-medical-doctor-first-miss-navajo/

Grier, Tom. “Beulah Allen – Navajo Medical Doctor.” Living History; Oct. 20, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqpbmKswk7w

“History of Miss Navajo Nation.” Office of Miss Navajo Nation; Accessed Nov. 2024. https://omnn.navajo-nsn.gov/History

“Honoring Dr. Beulah Melvin Allen for Dedicated Service to Project Venture.” Project Venture; Sept. 26, 2022. https://projectventure.org/blogs/news/lorem-ipsum-2

“Miss Navajo.” Indigenous Voices of the Colorado Plateau; Accessed Nov. 2024. https://library.nau.edu/speccoll/exhibits/indigenous_voices/navajo/miss_navajo.html

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