Twenty-six Indigenous women from across Canada were selected from more than 700 applicants to compete in Canada’s first-ever Miss Indigenous Canada pageant. Jessica McKenzie was announced as the overall winner of this inaugural event, a victory she sees as not just her own but also a win for Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
McKenzie is a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation and hails from The Pas in northern Manitoba. The 30-year-old, who now resides in Toronto, was declared the winner of the first Miss Indigenous Canada pageant, held at the Haudenosaunee territory of Six Nations of the Grand River in southern Ontario. McKenzie was one of four contestants representing Manitoba First Nations in the pageant.
“I’m honestly so humbled, I’m so overwhelmed,” she said after her win. “I just really wanted to do this for my community, so a big shout out to Opaskwayak Cree Nation.”
As Miss Indigenous Canada, McKenzie plans to visit Indigenous communities to mentor youth and women, aiming to inspire and support the next generation. She also wants to return to Opaskwayak to thank the elders who supported her. “It’s not just my win, it’s a community win,” she said, adding, “When I shine, I bring others with me.”
As per McKenzie, she and many others were attracted to Miss Indigenous Canada as the event is not a typical pageant. “It wasn’t about beauty, but about community and culture,” she said. “It was something I needed for my healing journey, unlike any colonial pageant.”
McKenzie’s culture and ceremonies helped her prepare for the pageant, and she wanted to keep those ties strong throughout the competition regardless of the outcome. “Standing on that stage, you have to be true to who you are, and you have to know who you are from the core,” McKenzie said. She calls her journey through the pageant a beautiful journey and a loving experience.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs congratulated McKenzie in a Facebook post, calling her achievement “remarkable” and applauding her for representing Opaskwayak with grace and distinction during the pageant.
