Pageant recognizes talents of Indigenous girls and women

By Lethbridge Herald on August 23, 2023.

Indigenous Princesses shelter under umbrellas as they ride a float during Tuesday’s misty Whoop-Up Days parade. Herald photo by Ian Martens

Steffanie Costigan – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This year’s Indigenous programming kicking off Whoop-Up Days was the 2023 princess pageant which honoured and recognized Indigenous girls and women in Siksikaisitapi heritage, history, and culture.

The princess pageant competition ran Tuesday afternoon in the new Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre.

Sheila Fox, elders advocate for the Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council, said the pageant gives opportunities to show the contestants’ expertise and the traditional ways the youth are taught.

“It’s showing off their expertise and their talents. What we like to do is to encourage our youngsters and teach them our culture and our traditions. It’s very important for the youngsters,” said Fox.

The competition has three categories: the senior pageant, the junior pageant, and the tiny tot’s pageant. Contestants competing range in age from three to 18. The 2023 Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess, Alayiah Wolf Child, was present for the pageant. She voiced her personal challenges with social anxiety and intergenerational trauma Indigenous youth struggle with.

“A lot of our Indigenous youth struggle with mental illnesses from the cause of intergenerational trauma. And I see because I struggled with social anxiety. The fact that any one of these young, fabulous girls wants to try out for a title is brave, and it goes to show that are our ways and culture are still alive, and as well that they’re willing to learn and to adapt to our new society,” said Wolf Child. 

The Siksikaisitapi princess pageant is made up of three parts. The first part was a traditional dance competition, depending on the category. The following competition consisted of speeches presented by contestants along with questions asked and answers given by the contestants. The final contest is performing a talent. The contestant with the highest score wins the princess pageant.

Last year’s local Miss Senior Siksikaisitapi princess, Taiann Devine, attended this year’s pageant and offered her advice and encouragement to the contestants. 

“I would say just speak very loudly and speak true to your heart with the interview questions that are being asked. And also, to just have a good attitude, even if you don’t win,” said Devine.

This year’s pageant marks the second annual Siksikaisitapi princess pageant. The collaboration of the pageant consists of the Lethbridge Exhibition and the Blackfoot Confederacy tribal council, along with partnerships with the powwows, Fox said. 

“It gives them some confidence, and it also lets them show off or show their expertise and their tradition, their culture. And they will be presenting their title to any of the upcoming powwows, Indian Days. Anything that comes up, they will be the part of what they call the royalty.”

Wolf Child shared how proud she is of all the contestants competing and her excitement in seeing the new local princess.

“I’m really proud of each and every one of the contestants here today, and I can’t wait to see them on the powwow trail for their next year.” 

Devine reminds everyone to remember each contestant is an individual with feelings and to encourage them.

“I think it’s important to know that each of the girls are individual people, and they do have individual feelings and talents and abilities and to just be encouraging to them.”

Fox expressed the support of the Blackfoot Confederacy and the Lethbridge Exhibition has in supporting the youth to showcase their expertise.

“The Confederacy and the Lethbridge exhibition are wanting to support our youngsters and to give them something to look forward to. And to just make them feel the courage and the show off their expertise.”