Radmilla A. Cody born 1975 is a Navajo model, singer, and anti- domestic violence activist who was the 46th Miss Navajo from 1997 to 1998. She was the first biracial Miss Navajo and thus so far the only Miss Navajo partially of African-American heritage, her nomination sparked considerable debate over Navajo identity. After her tenure, allegations of drug-trafficking and involvement in money-laundering, resulting in her subsequent arrest and imprisonment, led to verbal racial attacks as well as support.

Early life

Cody was born into the clan of the Navajo Nation. Her father is African-American. She was raised in the rural areas of the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...

by her maternal grandmother, speaking Navajo. In an interview with

Vermont Public Radio Vermont Public Co. is the public broadcaster serving the U.S. state of Vermont. Its headquarters, newsroom, and radio studios are located in Colchester, with television studios in Winooski. It operates two statewide radio services aligned with ...

, Cody recalled an instance of her grandmother getting upset with her when she spoke English, which, according to her grandmother, was nothing but "walla walla walla." Daily chores included the herding of sheep and occasional

weaving Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...

. Cody later recalled that this time spent in relative solitude gave her time to practice her early singing skills with the "first audience eingthe sheep", and the surrounding environment gave her an appreciation of the sounds of nature. Since her grandmother had converted to Christianity, another influence was Christian choirs visiting the local church.Radmilla Cody: Two Cultures, One Voice
NPR. Retrieved 15 July 2010.

Career

In 1997, Cody participated in and won the Miss Navajo contest, an event for which extensive knowledge of Navajo traditions and fluency in the Navajo language are required,
Miss Navajo Council / Naabeehó bichʼeekęʼ. Retrieved 17 July 2010 rather than the ideals of beauty promoted by Western beauty pageants. After her tenure, she began a career as recording artist. Cody's songs are a mix of traditional

Navajo music Navajo music is music made by Navajos, mostly hailing from the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States and the territory of the Navajo Nation. While it traditionally takes the shape of ceremonial chants and echoes themes found in Din ...

and songs incorporating lyrics written by her uncle, Herman Cody. Her first album, entitled ''Within the Four Directions'', which includes the Navajo version of

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

(""), appeared in 2000. She won the 2002 Native American Music Award for Best Female Artist for her album ''Seed of Life'', and has since released two more collections, ''Spirit of a Woman'' and ''Precious Friends'', in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Her latest album is Shi Keyeh or Songs for the People released in 2011. This album was nominated for Best Regional Roots Album at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Cody was the first Native American singer nominated in this new category which succeeded to great controversy a standalone category for Native American music and Latin Jazz two-year prior to this award ceremony. In 2002, Cody sang the Navajo version of The Star-Spangled Banner at the

Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC, originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center), located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968 ...

John Herrington John Bennett Herrington (born September 14, 1958, in Chickasaw Nation) is a retired United States Naval Aviator, engineer and former NASA astronaut. In 2002, Herrington became the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in spac ...

became the first enrolled member of a Native American nation to fly into space.Vermont Public Radio interview (transcript)
vpr.net. Retrieved 21 July 2010.

Controversy

In 2003, Cody pleaded guilty to " misprison icof a felony" for wiring $1,000 to her boyfriend who was involved in the trafficking of marijuana in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, and she admitted to knowing that the money would be used for such illegal activities; she served 21 months in jail. Subsequently, Cody became subjected to public racial attacks, commenting on her African American descent; others voiced support and understanding for her situation due to her boyfriend's being abusive and oppressive. She has since become an activist against domestic violence.

Discography

* ''Within the Four Directions'' (2000) * ''Seed of Life'' (2002) 2002 Native American Music Awards Best Female ArtistCody's Blues
imdiversity.com. Retrieved 15 July 2010 * ''Spirit of a Woman'' (2005) * ''Precious Friends'' (2007) * ''Shi Keyah: Songs for the People'' (2011)

References

External links

www.radmillacody.com Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cody, Radmilla 21st-century Native Americans Living people Native American Christians Black Native Americans Native American activists Native American singers Navajo-language singers Anti-domestic violence activists Native American female models 1975 births 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century Native American women 20th-century Native Americans 20th-century Native American women