Bah, (Navajo), believes in compassion and hard-work.
“Yá’át’ééh shi ei Bah Bigman yinishye. Diné asdzaa nishli. Naakai Dine nishli, Taachinii bashishchiin, Taabaha dashicheii, Dzlini’nii dashinali. Biomedical Sciences ei University of Arizona ei iiniishta’.
Hello my name is Bah Bigman. I am a young Navajo woman. My clans are the Mexican Clan, born for Red Streak Running into Water. My maternal clan is the Edge Water and my paternal clan is the Manygoats clan. I am from Big Mountain, Arizona. I am 20 years old. I study Biomedical Sciences at the University of Arizona.
My educational goals blossomed at a young age from helping my elders, especially from my grandmother. I plan to attend medical school after I graduate with a bachelor’s degree in science. I am interested in medicine because today there are hardly any Native American physicians, I only know of two. Additionally, my grandmother herself is a Navajo medicine woman, in our own traditions she helps others who are in need of a spiritual blessing. Knowing only two Native American physicians, I hope to increase the numbers in the future. Being raised and growing up on the Navajo reservation, I only witnessed Navajo people working out of state, leaving their family’s behind for months. Our own Native people need a new career path for future generations. Practicing to become a physician will be a lifelong job and it will benefit our Native people with positive acts.
I believe the first step to getting and starting a “good life” is to go to college. However, college is unfortunately not what every older Native person has experienced. It is a new idea being discovered. Yet, during this current time, many Native students are going to school. It is great there are many Native students getting an education because it will benefit them, their families, their community and Native American communities overall.”
