About Miss Indigenous Canada

 

Miss Indigenous Canada is a three-day event geared towards young Indigenous leaders of tomorrow. Above all, we value self-development, community service, cultural involvement, empowerment, and authentic representation. The program was created in an effort to provide an outlet for young Indigenous women to celebrate their abilities and achievements, make connections with like-minded peers, work to serve their communities, and promote cultural involvement and connection.

Our Mission.

Our mission is to empower and encourage young Indigenous women to develop leadership skills, give back to their communities, and connect to their cultures. We aim to foster an environment where young Indigenous women have the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive.

Our Vision.

We see a generation with passion, motive, and love for the communities and cultures they come from, and titleholders who work to foster that within their own communities and others.

About the Competiton

Contestant Requirements

  • Open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women** with a verifiable community affiliation

  • Contestants must be at least 18 years old and no older than 30 by the competition weekend

  • Must be a Canadian resident

  • Must belong to an Indigenous community that is primarily in Canada either by treaty or historically

  • Must be of good character and have actions that reflect that of a community ambassador

  • Applicants should display a preexisting involvement in their Indigenous community

  • No experience necessary!

**We welcome all women who meet the above requirements, regardless of assigned gender at birth, marital status, or motherhood.

Areas of Competition

Contestants will compete in the following categories:

  • Interview

  • Personal Essay

  • Cultural Presentation

  • Community Scrapbook

Awards and Prizes

Each contestant will receive a gift bag full of goodies on arrival. Additional prizes will be awarded to the winner, runners-up, and recipients of special awards. Prizes and gifts will vary year to year based upon sponsorship agreements and number of contestants entered.

Official Charity of MIC

We are honoured to partner with We Matter as the official charity of Miss Indigenous Canada. As part of their candidacy for the title, contestants will be asked to fundraise and raise awareness for We Matter and their cause. The Miss Indigenous Canada Committee will also be donating a portion of ticket sales from the final show to We Matter. To learn more about We Matter and the important work they do, please visit their website here.

Pageant Weekend

Pageant weekend is a three-day, retreat-style event filled with workshops, tours, guest speakers, and activities. Transportation, accomodations, and meals for the duration of the pageant will be provided.

Meet the Director

  • Aleria McKay - Founder and Director

    Aleria McKay comes from an Onondaga & Teme Augama Anishnabai mother and Red River Metis & Dene Tha father. She was raised on Six Nations of the Grand River and is proud to call her community home. Aleria holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Indigenous Studies and Bachelor of Education. In the fall, she will begin her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. A poet and playwright, her past works include And She Split The Sky in Two and Thunderstorms. Her most recent poetry collection, Sweetgrass & Cigarettes, was released in early 2023. Aleria has competed in pageants since age 11, and is a former Miss Six Nations and Miss Teenage Ontario. Having experienced the opportunities and growth that comes along with pageants, she wanted to create a pageant that focuses on community service, cultural connection, leadership, and sisterhood. She is excited for this new journey and looks forward to getting to know the incredible young Indigenous women in our communities!