Miss Indian America
Encyclopedia
Miss Indian America was a pageant
from 1953 to 1985 that was part annual All-American Indian Days festival in Sheridan
, Wyoming
. Each contestant was assessed on the basis of her appearance, communication skills, knowledge and practice of her culture, knowledge of tribal, federal and state governments and talent in traditional and contemporary tribal skills.
The reigning Miss Indian American was considered to be a cultural ambassador between Native Americans and non-Native Americans through speaking engagements, public appearances, participation in conferences of federal, state, local and tribal governments.
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
from 1953 to 1985 that was part annual All-American Indian Days festival in Sheridan
Sheridan, Wyoming
Sheridan is a city in Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States. The 2010 census put the population at 17,444 and a Micropolitan Statistical Area of 29,116...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. Each contestant was assessed on the basis of her appearance, communication skills, knowledge and practice of her culture, knowledge of tribal, federal and state governments and talent in traditional and contemporary tribal skills.
The reigning Miss Indian American was considered to be a cultural ambassador between Native Americans and non-Native Americans through speaking engagements, public appearances, participation in conferences of federal, state, local and tribal governments.
Winners
| Year | Miss America | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Wanda Johnson | Navajo |
| 1988 | Bobette Kay Wildcat | Shoshone |
| 1987 | Linda Kay Lupe | White Mountain Apache |
| 1986 | Audra Arviso | Navajo |
| 1985 | Jorja Frances Oberly | Osage-Commanche-Nez Perce |
| 1984 | Anne-Louise Willie | White Mountain Apache & Paiute |
| 1983 | Not held | |
| 1982 | Vivian Juan, | Papago |
| 1981 | Jerilyn Lebeau | Cheyenne River Sioux |
| 1980 | Melanie Tallmadge | Winnebago-Minnesota Sioux |
| 1978-9 | Susan Arkeketa | Otoe-Missouria and Creek |
| 1977 | Gracie Welch | Mohave-Chemehuevi-Yavapai |
| 1976 | Kristine Harvey, | White Mountain Apache |
| 1975 | Deana Jo Harragarra | Otoe-Kiowa |
| 1974 | Claire Manning | Shoshone-Paiute |
| 1973 | Maxine Norris | Papago |
| 1972 | Louise Edmo, | Shoshone-Bannock |
| 1971 | Nora Begay | Navajo |
| 1970 | Virginia Stroud | Cherokee |
| 1969 | Margery Haury | Cheyenne-Arapahoe-Navajo-Sioux |
| 1968 | Thomasine Hill | Crow-Pawnee |
| 1967 | Sarah Johnson | Navajo |
| 1966 | Wahleah Lujan | TaosPueblo |
| 1965 | Marcelle Ahtone | Kiowa |
| 1964 | Michele Portwood | Arapahoe |
| 1963 | Williamette Youpee | Sisseton-YanktonSioux |
| 1962 | Ramona Soto | Klamath |
| 1961 | Brenda Bearchum | Northern Cheyenne |
| 1960 | Vivian Arviso | Navajo |
| 1959 | Delores Racine | Blackfeet |
| 1959 | Not held | |
| 1957 | Ruth Larson, | Gros Ventre |
| 1956 | Sandra Gover | Skili-Pawnee |
| 1955 | Rita Mclaughlin | Hunkpapa-Sioux Sioux The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects... |
| 1954 | Mary Louise Defender | Yanktanais-Sioux Sioux The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects... |
| 1953 | ArleneWesley | Yakama Nation |