Longtime Navajo Nation educator and vice-presidential candidate Fannie Lowe Atcitty has died.
According to the Navajo Council, Atcitty taught elementary and middle school students for 30 years before becoming an instructor at Diné College and San Juan College.
She received the Golden Apple award in 2001 as one of New Mexico’s top teachers and was a member of the board of regents for Haskell Nations University.
She was also a longtime community leader in Shiprock and was involved with the state’s Democratic Party.
In 2014, Atcitty was selected by presidential candidate Chris Deschene as his vice-presidential running mate.
He was eventually disqualified after failing to show fluency in the Navajo language.