Background

Kay Curley Bennett, whose Native American name was Kaibah, was born on July 15, 1922, on a Navajo Indian reservation near Sheepsprings (now Sheep Springs, San Juan County, New Mexico, United States). Her father was Keedah, a silversmith, and her mother was Mary (Chahiilbahi) Chischillie.

Education

Bennett attended the Toadlena Boarding School in Toadlena, New Mexico.

Career

Early in her career, Bennett was a file clerk at the Douglas Aircraft before working as a dormitory attendant at the Toadlena Boarding School in New Mexico from 1945 to 1946. For the subsequent six years, she served as a teacher and interpreter at Arizona’s Phoenix Indian School.

Bennett also headed the special education department at the school for a time she served on the New Mexico Human Rights Commission as well as the Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Association’s board of directors.

In addition, she managed student teachers on the Navajo reservation.

Her 1990 presidential run came after she sought and won a court order allowing her to seek election.

Bennett wrote several books with Native American themes. The first was titled Kaibah: Recollection of a Navajo Girlhood, published in 1965. Her A Navajo Saga: History 1846-1870 was issued in 1969, and she also wrote a children’s book, Keesh, the Navajo Indian Cat.

Achievements

• Bennett is particularly remembered for being the first woman to run for the office of tribal president of the Navajo Nation in 1990.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Kesh: The Navajo Indian cat

    (This is a story about some of my dreams I have experience...)

    1985
  • A Navajo saga

    (The history of a Navajo family from 1846 to 1870 as they ...)

    1969
  • Kaibah: Recollection of a Navajo Girlhood 1965

Connections

Bennett was married to Russell C. Bennett.

Father:

Keedah Chischillie

Mother:

Mary (Chahiilbahi) Chischillie

husband:

Russell C. Bennett