Louva Mae Dahozy

Dr. Louva McCabe Dahozy, revered as the "Mother of the Navajo Nation" (Nihe' Ma, meaning "Our Mother"), passed away on January 20, 2026, at the age of 99. A tireless advocate for Indigenous health, nutrition, education, and women's rights, Dahozy dedicated seven decades to uplifting her people through community education and cultural preservation. Her pioneering work in Navajo-language broadcasting and her efforts to document traditional foods left an enduring legacy that touched generations across the Navajo Nation.

Born in the 1920s in Tolani Lake on the Navajo Nation, Dahozy was of the Hashk'aa Hadzohi clan and born for the Kinyaa'áanii clan. She later made her home in Fort Defiance, Arizona. Her early experiences on the reservation instilled in her a deep appreciation for traditional Diné culture and a determination to preserve it for future generations.

Dahozy began her career as a community educator in the 1950s. In 1958, she joined the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension system, working with Indigenous communities on home economics. She organized 4-H clubs on the Navajo reservation, teaching hundreds of young people about livestock, home economics, and cultural awareness. Her dedication to practical education would become a hallmark of her life's work.

In the late 1960s, Dahozy joined the Office of Navajo Economic Opportunity, where she secured federal funding for Diné-language radio programming focused on nutrition and home economics. For a decade, she recorded and produced daily episodes of "Navajo Homemakers Radio Education," broadcast across seven Navajo community radio stations. This groundbreaking program championed food security and healthy living for underserved Indigenous populations.

A prolific author, Dahozy published the "Navajo Homemaker Cookbook" in 1969 and "Navajo Terminology of Food and Nutrition" in 1977. She developed the first Navajo Illustrated Cookbook using commodity and native foods, conducting nutritional analysis that demonstrated their high nutritional value. Her expertise led to guest lecturer positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Arizona, Dartmouth College, Duke University, the University of Kansas, the University of New Mexico, Prescott College, and Diné College.

Beyond nutrition advocacy, Dahozy was a pioneering leader in Indigenous women's rights and elder care. In 1970, she founded the North American Indian Women's Association and served as its first national chairwoman. She co-founded the National Indian Council on Aging and helped establish the Navajo Nation Council on Aging. As a delegate to the White House Conferences on Aging in 1971 and 1973, she advocated for the needs of Indigenous elders at the national level. She also helped establish the Navajo Women and Infant Children Program.

Her extraordinary contributions earned numerous honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1994, recognition from Apache County officials and the 23rd Navajo Nation Council in 2016, and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Arizona in 2022. Just one month before her passing, she provided the invocation and sang the national anthem at the winter session of the Navajo Nation Council.

Dr. Louva Dahozy's philosophy was simple yet profound: "I wanted to provide education for Navajo people, education that includes traditional and modern ways so that people might have better homes." Her legacy of service, education, and cultural preservation will continue to inspire generations of Indigenous leaders.