AZCentral.com – by Kellie Hwang – The Arizona Republic
Mesa resident Ricki Quintero gazes proudly at two Native American dresses in her apartment.
One is white with turquoise embroidery, and the other is a sunny yellow. Both are made of soft deerskin, embellished with silver ornaments and finished with long, meticulously cut tassels.
These dresses are meaningful to the 30-year-old member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Not only did she make them, but she wore them when she won the 2007 Miss Indian Transgender Arizona Pageant, a title she has held for two years.