Miss Indian World Pageant to Conclude with Final Crowning in 2025 as Gathering of Nations Powwow Ends
Introduction
The Miss Indian World pageant, a central component of the Gathering of Nations powwow for more than four decades, will hold its final competition in 2025. Organizers have announced the cessation of both the powwow and the pageant, stating that the time has come for the events to end without providing further explanation.
Main Body
The pageant originated in 1984 when Codi High Elk, then a shy teenager from the Cheyenne River Reservation, initially discarded the application but was persuaded by her brother to compete. High Elk became the first Miss Indian World, and she later attributed the experience to providing the confidence necessary to pursue two degrees and a career focused on expanding credit access for Lakota people. The competition has been held annually at the Gathering of Nations, which describes itself as the largest powwow in North America, and has shaped the lives of young Indigenous women from the United States and Canada. Contestants were required to be Indigenous women aged 18 to 25, single, without children, and pledged to maintain specific moral standards. The selection process involved a five-day schedule of interviews, public speaking, and a traditional talent showcase. For example, Tori McConnell, the 2023 winner, consulted Karuk and Yurok elders to develop a performance demonstrating traditional basketry, which she explained first in the Karuk language and then in English. The pageant’s rotating collection of beaded crowns will be retired after the final event, with potential donation to a museum, according to Melonie Matthews, daughter of the Gathering of Nations founder. Winners served as cultural ambassadors, traveling internationally to events such as a Māori Haka competition in New Zealand, the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, and the Oceti Sakowin camp during the Standing Rock pipeline protests. High Elk recalled preparing fry bread and Lakota tripe soup for university students in Paris in 1984. Shayai Lucero, the 1997 winner from Acoma and Laguna pueblos, noted that the pageant provided a sense of belonging for Indigenous people displaced by federal relocation programs. Titleholders advocated for causes including language revitalization, domestic violence prevention, and mental health support; Cheyenne Kippenberger, the 2019 winner, focused on connecting Native communities during the COVID-19 pandemic through online events and vaccination encouragement. The Gathering of Nations has faced criticism for perceived commercialism. Founder Derek Mathews, who has at times claimed distant Cherokee ancestry but is not a tribal citizen, has made few public responses. Melonie Matthews stated that the organization did not consider transferring the Miss Indian World trademark to another group, as the pageant was never a standalone event. Several former titleholders, however, have been exploring the creation of a new national pageant for Indigenous women, arguing that the legacy of Miss Indian World extends beyond the powwow. Other national pageants, such as Miss Native American USA, Miss Indian Nations, and Miss Indian America, have already ceased operations. Many past winners have become lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs, and cultural bearers, and they express a bittersweet sentiment but optimism that a successor will emerge.
Conclusion
The conclusion of the Miss Indian World pageant marks the end of a significant platform for Indigenous women's representation and cultural ambassadorship. While the current organizers have no plans to continue the event, former titleholders are actively considering alternatives to fill the resulting gap.