Radmilla A. Cody is a Navajo singer, model, and activist against domestic abuse.

Born in 1975, Radmilla A. Cody is a Navajo singer, model, and activist against domestic abuse. She was the 46th Miss Navajo from 1997 to 1998.
Her nomination generated a lot of discussion about Navajo identity because she was the first mixed Miss Navajo and, to date, the only Miss Navajo with some African-American ancestry. Following her employment, she was accused of drug trafficking and money laundering, which led to her arrest and incarceration. This resulted in both support and verbal racist abuse.
Early life Cody was born into the Navajo Nation's Tłʼááshchíʼí clan. She has an African-American father. Her maternal grandmother, who speaks Navajo, reared her in the Navajo Nation's rural areas. During a Vermont Public Radio interview, Cody recounted an incident involving her grandma
becoming irritated with her when she used English, which her grandma described as "walla walla walla." Sheep herding and the occasional weaving were daily tasks. The "first audience [being] the sheep" allowed Cody to hone her early singing abilities during this period of relative seclusion, and the surroundings allowed her to appreciate the sounds of nature. Christian choirs that visited the local church after her grandma became a Christian also had an impact.
Career
Instead of promoting the ideals of beauty found in Western beauty pageants, Cody competed in and won the Miss Navajo pageant in 1997, which requires proficiency in the Navajo language and a thorough understanding of Navajo customs. Following
she was annoyed when she spoke in English, which her grandmother referred to as "walla walla walla." Everyday chores included herding sheep and occasionally weaving. During this time of relative isolation, Cody was able to refine her early singing skills with the "first audience [being] the sheep" and enjoy the sounds of nature in the surrounding environment. She was also influenced by Christian choirs that came to the local church after her grandmother converted to Christianity.
Career
Cody participated in and won the Miss Navajo pageant in 1997, which demands fluency in the Navajo language and a deep awareness of Navajo customs, rather than advancing the standards of beauty found in Western beauty pageants. She started a recording career after her time there.
Traditional Navajo music and lyrics penned by her uncle, Herman Cody, are mixed together in Cody's compositions. The Navajo rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner ("Dah Naatʼaʼí Sǫʼ bił Sinil") is featured on her debut album, Within the Four Directions, which was released in 2000. Her CD Seed of Life earned her the Native American Music Award for Best Female Artist in 2002. Spirit of a Woman and Precious Friends, her subsequent albums, were released in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Songs for the People, or Shi Keyeh, is her most recent album, which was published in 2011. At the 2012 Grammy Awards, this album received a nomination for Best Regional Roots Album. The first Native American was Cody singer who was nominated in this brand-new category, which was a stand-alone category for Latin jazz and Native American music two years before this award show.
When John Herrington became the first enrolled member of a Native American country to travel into space in 2002, Cody performed the Navajo version of the Star-Spangled Banner at the Kennedy Space Centre.



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