Atalya Benally
By ROSELYNN WAHTOMY
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL – Atalya Benally, 19, is one of the contestants for Miss Shoshone-Bannock. For her traditional talent she will demonstrate gutting salmon. The traditional dish she will prepare is salmon.
Benally’s Indian Name is Shining Star. She is the daughter of Ezra and Tillie Benally and the granddaughter of Clarence Benally Sr. and the late Elizabeth Benally and late Phillip and Sharon Jiron of Dupree, SD. Both of her grandfathers are veterans. She has one sister, Ashra, and one brother, Savon, who will escort her during the pageant.
Her hootsie, Elizabeth, was Agai Dika and that became a big part of her culture with her family.
Elizabeth was born in Fort Hall and moved to Salmon where she lived and was raised but moved back when she met Clarence.
“Every year we make the trip to Salmon for Agai Dika days in memory of my hootsie and do the 12-mile walk up Lemhi pass and make more memories. During the summer we'll often go to South Fork or Bear Valley and fish for salmon. On one of my first trips my dad and uncle Conrad told me to start gutting the fish. I didn't know how. So they taught me and after a couple lessons I had it down and realized that it was actually kind of fun. So my sister Mary and I became the fish gutters, so to speak. When we're done and we make the drive back we start making calls to hootsies and gu'no to see if they need any salmon. In the winter my dad, brother and uncles hunt elk and deer. I never learned to gut deer or elk because I didn't actually go on the hunts with them, but when they came back I learned to skin and cut them up. And once again when we're finished we start making calls to the hootsies and gu'no again to see if they need any meat for the winter then we start calling aunts n uncles to make sure they have meat too.”
Benally’s platform is speaking to her peers and telling them that if you set a goal, you can achieve whatever career you set your mind to.
Benally said, “As kids we're told we can be whatever what we want to get the things we need or to even get things we like to have or experience. When you tell yourself you’re going to do something, do it. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't. The Tribe has so many programs that will help financially and are available for morale support so that you can accomplish your educational and professional goals, you just have to take the time to do the work and the research. There are also advocates through out the high schools in the surrounding area of the tribe that can help, take advantage of them. I have been fortunate enough for the support of my parents, aunts and uncles and so many other people that I now know that I can do whatever my heart drives me to do. They key is to stay positive and know that you can succeed in whatever field of work you want to be in. Reach for the stars there are millions and because the sky has no limit anything is possible.”
She is a Blackfoot High School graduate where she was the president of the Indian Club and played on the Jr. varsity team. She served on the Indian Club Committee for a couple of years as well. She now attends the ISU Cosmetology Program; she is set to graduate in December. Afterwards, she’d like to come back to the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel & Event Center and give back to the tribe for funding her education.
Benally enjoys traveling to powwows with her dad and uncles of Ghost Canyon, meeting new people and learning the culture of the tribes.
“I believe in staying true to who you are. As a member of the Shoshone Bannock tribe where culture and beliefs are strong, culture is the biggest part and mine is dancing. Growing up around the drum with my dad and uncles singing and traveling to all the different powwows became part of my life style and who I am. Before I could walk my parents started me out dancing, as I got older I sang a little bit but I discovered that I liked dancing more. I primarily dance jingle but also have danced in traditional and fancy,” she said.
She’s been running in the Shoshone Bannock Festival Royalty contest since I was about 5 and have received the honors 1st runner up a few times. I also ran for the Eastern Shoshone Indian Days in Fort Washakie, Wyoming and was fortunate to win the Princess title.
Her hobbies include dancing, fishing, beading, drawing, basketball and cosmetology.
Benally feels her culture is a big part of who she is because “as children we are also taught it's who we are and that we need to keep it alive. As Native American people it's so easy to lose track of your culture and history with so many influences out there. I'm thankful that my family taught me the necessities of hunting and fishing so that I can teach my kids and they can teach theirs and so on. It's not only who we are, but I also know you can have fun doing it.”
Her hope for the future is that there will eventually be programs for kids who don't have the opportunity to hunt and fish, and they will get that opportunity to provide for their families by doing the dying traditions.
“These two things are a big part of our past it's how we lived and will continue to live as long as we keep our culture and way of life going for all Native Americans present and future,” said Benally.