CELEBRATE WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. MEANWHILE, MONTOYA WAS INSTILLED IN ME. IT WAS INSTILLED IN ME TO BE A PUBLIC SERVANT. FOR MANY, SHE’S KNOWN AS A LEADER WITH POISE AND GRACE. BUT TO HER FAMILY, SHE SIMPLY JUST FOR SHALL BE MEXICAN FROM TORREON WITH A BIG PASSION AND LOVE FOR FAMILY. THERE WAS A MIDWIFE. THERE WAS A SHEEPHERDER, THERE WAS A FARMER. THERE WAS A MEDICINE WOMAN. THERE WAS AN HERBALIST. AND THEY ALL HELP ONE ANOTHER. AND IT WASN’T BECAUSE THEY IT WAS SOMETHING THEY DID. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE TAUGHT BY THEIR PARENTS. SHE CREDITS HER STRENGTH TO HER LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY THE MATRIARCHAL FIGURES. SHE LOOKED UP TO THE INFLUENCE ULTIMATELY LED HER INTO A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE. FIRST, AS THE PRESIDENT’S OF HER NAVAJO NATION CHAPTER, THEN THE FIRST FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GREAT NAVAJO NATION, HONORABLE RACHELLE MONTOYA. AS AN EXECUTIVE OFFICIAL FOR THE ENTIRE REGION. WE CAUGHT UP WITH MONTOYA JUST ONE DAY AFTER HER HISTORIC INAUGURATION AS THE FIRST EVER FEMALE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAJO NATION. A MOMENT SHE DESCRIBED AS SURREAL. THAT’S EVERYBODY’S QUESTION. HOW DOES IT FEEL? ALL I CAN SAY IS I AM EXTREMELY HUMBLE, EXTREMELY HUMBLED TO HAVE BEEN PUT ON THIS JOURNEY IN MY LIFE RELATIVE SUPPORTING HER RIGHT BY HER SIDE, INCLUDING HER OWN LITTLE FAMILY. FROM NIECES TO DAUGHTERS AND GRANDDAUGHTERS LOOKING ON WITH A CRUCIAL LESSON AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR MINDS. NEVER GIVE UP. NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY EVER SAYS, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THE STRENGTH OF MY ANCESTORS, OUR ANCESTORS, ARE DEEP INSIDE OF US. AS FOR THE REST OF HER ADMIRERS, SHE’S THANKFUL FOR THEIR FAITH IN PRAYERS, EVEN REWARDING THEM WITH A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY AS A WAY TO GIVE BACK. LET’S LET’S SIT DOWN. YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE OFFICE IS LIKE, AND THEN YOU CAN SIT DOWN AND SAY, HEY, THIS COULD BE ME IN ABOUT TEN YEARS. SEE A COMMUNITY SHE PROUDLY CALLS HOME. SOME OF THE VICE PRESIDENTS INITIATIVES INCLUDE THE ISSUE OF MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. BETT