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The winning name for Mrs. Darkwater’s dog is Bidziil. Bidziil is a Navajo word meaning he/she/they are strong, powerful. Anne chose the name Bidziil without knowing who the contestants were.

 

Congratulations to Gail Greenberg, from Sandia Park, New Mexico and Gwen Desselle, from Madison, Georgia for being the co-winners of the contest.

 

Anne thanks everyone for their participation in our dog-naming contest. We received nearly 200 suggestions. Our judges found it challenging to select finalists when so many wonderful names were submitted.

 

Gail Greenberg happens to be one of Anne’s Beta Readers and has known Anne for many years. Gwen was named the State of Georgia Teacher of the Year in 2010! Upon learning that she was a co-winner, Gwen shared with us that she “. . . used information in the Tony Hillerman books to hook my students into an interest in Native American culture. Along the way, those books helped me become a better teacher.”

 

After selecting the winning name, we discovered that the Navajo Nation used the phrase Dine Bidziil in a powerful video the Nation produced as a result of COVID-19. You can view it here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPm2h4yiZ8I.

 

Anne thanks everyone who submitted a name! We hope you enjoyed the contest!