Indigenous pageants bring a sense of community and pride

The spirit of collaboration and pride reined during several Indigenous beauty pageants celebrated across the Arctic last week.

In Kotzebue, nine women participated in cultural pageants, showcasing their regalia and skills in Inupiaq dance, skin sewing and birchwood basket making. Some of them will take part in the World Eskimo Indian Olympics in Fairbanks this week.

“I loved how each and every one of us girls wanted to take our generation another step forward,” said Jacey Schaeffer who took second place at the Miss Arctic Circle pageant in Kotzebue. “We are the next generation to teach our younger children how and why it is important to be connected with your people.

“The Miss Arctic Circle pageant is very important for our young women as they step into a world where we walk with two souls in one place,” she added. “We are rooted in our culture but to maintain our survival, we learn to adapt with the Western culture.”

Ronnie Agnatchaiq Huss won the Miss Arctic Circle, competing against Schaeffer, Grace Nasrukluk Gallahorn, Siearrah Amalik Thomas and Kayla Piquk Nay. In the Miss Teen Arctic Circle pageant, June Uaaliq Avigalluk Nelson won first place, running against Tayler Agvan Uvlaugmii Richards, Luica Aaquk Richards and Jada Kagruuruk Lambert.

The Kotzebue events spanned from July 1 to 4 and included, among other things, a regalia show, a talent competition, interviews and essay writing, said Macy Rae Kenworthy who organized the event this year.

For Huss, the winner of the Miss Arctic Circle, the pageant was all about collaboration. She said that during the talent show, two contestants started an invitational dance, and other participants joined them.

“We’re all just so happy to help each other because, you know, that’s just who we are as Native people,” she said. “We were fixing each other’s hair. We’re helping each other with fashions and pronunciation of the Inupiaq language. .... It felt very, very much like a community.”

This year, the judges added more points for contestants for speaking Inupiaq in their talent presentations and personal interviews, Kenworthy said.

“A big part of their scoring is their ‘traditionality,’ so how well they know their Inupiaq culture,” she said. “The language learning that they did throughout the project was really inspiring.

“They had their Inupiaq dictionaries out.”

[From 2023: Women, youth and children showcase beautiful regalia at Indigenous pageants in the Arctic]

In their speeches, several participants talked about cultural revitalization.

Huss, who has been a municipal government intern with City of Kotzebue for the past two summers, spoke about dance as her favorite cultural activity.

“I chose dancing as my talent because it is a form of storytelling and artistic expression that allows us to feel pride and connection with our culture,” Huss said in her speech. “Dancing in Alaska was once banned due to missionaries seeing it as a devilish act but today I am proud to continue and reclaiming my culture.”

While usually, participants borrow and reuse their parkas for the Miss Arctic Circle contests, this year, several of them sewed their own, Kenworthy said.

“That was really incredible to see,” Kenworthy said.

In the 2024 Lovie Harris Baby Beauty Contest, there were also more new parkis than on an average year, “and a lot of them were matching their parents,” said Maija Katak Lukin who organized it this year.

Shylena Lie’s son Halvor won first place in the 0-11 age group category of the Kotzebue baby contest, wearing an attire sewn this year.

“I had a good time sewing for my son as I usually do every year,” she said. “I think out my sons’ outfits to the best I can. ... I do my best to remain traditional but with some modern touches added, depending on the style and theme.”

For the Miss Arctic Contest pageant, Jacey Aŋaluk Schaeffer and Siearrah Amalik Thomas sewn their parkis.

Schaeffer said that the process was healing for her.

Schaeffer started the project back in 2020 with her late aunt Mary Lou Sours but did not finish it as she had to move back to Kotzebue from Noatak to take care of her family. Her other aunt Clara Lee Jones helped her finish her parkys for the pageant.

“Throughout the process of making my parky, I learned how valuable life is and how I have the ability to learn from our people. I’ve gained so much more respect and love for my ancestors,” she said. “I am taking our tradition another generation forward.”

Miss Teen Top of the World

In Utqiagvik, Faith Brower, 15, placed first in the Miss Teen Top of The World pageant, spreading the message about the advantages of living healthy and substance-free.

“I participated in this because I want to represent No Smoking, No Drugs, No Alcohol” message, she said. “In this town, I grew up seeing family members partying and what it put me through as I grew older. And I’d rather be participating in events than smoke or drink. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else.”

The Utqiagvik pageants — including the Miss Teen, Miss Top of the World and the baby contest — took place on July 4 at the Ipalook Elementary School.

With Brower securing the crown of the Miss Teen, Kaley Alred won second place and Pearl Gordan took third.

On the day of the pageant, Brower was wearing ivory teardrop earrings made by Charles Allen of Kotzebue, a muskrat parka made by her aunt Corrine Danner with sunshine ruff with wolf tips, wolf bellies and wolverine. Her sealskin and calfskin maklaks were gifted to her from her grandmother and made by the late Rebecca Hopson over 25 years ago.

After the excitement of the contest and congratulations from Elders and friends, the night ended with Inupiaq dancing and singing — aggii — which has been a big part of Brower’s life in the last few years since she joined the Barrow Dance Group.

To other young women who are thinking of participating in the Top of the World contest, Brower recommended to be decisive.

“Just do it,” she said. “Not because your friends or your family want you to do it — it’s your decision. Don’t regret it and stand your ground.”