About Miss Indigenous Canada
Miss Indigenous Canada is a week long 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 folks 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 Indigenous youth to develop leadership skills, give back to their communities, and connect to their cultures. We aim to foster an environment where Indigenous youth 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 ambassadors who work to foster that within their own communities and others.
About the Progam
Participant Requirements
Open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women/two-spirit with a verifiable community affiliation
Participants must be at least 18 years old and no older than 30 by the program week
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 who meet the above requirements, regardless of assigned gender at birth, marital status, or motherhood.
Areas of Competition
Participants will take part in the following categories:
Personal Interview
Personal Essay
Cultural Presentation
Community Scrapbook
High achieving participants will go on to take part in the prepared statement and final question round during the final showcase.
Awards and Prizes
Each participant 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. In past years, with the support of our sponsors, we’ve been proud to provide over $6000 in cash and prizes to our participants.
Charitable Giving
As part of our program, participants are asked to fundraise for the chosen charity of Miss Indigenous Canada, which is selected by the previous year’s ambassador. Since our inception, our participants have raised over $34,000 for charity.
Program Week
The Miss Indigenous Canada program takes place over five days in July. It is a retreat-style event filled with workshops, cultural tours, formal dinners, guest speakers, and activities. Transportation, accomodations, and meals during duration of the pageant is provided for participants.
Meet the Director
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Aleria McKay - Founder and Director
Aleria McKay comes from an Onondaga & Teme Augama Anishnabai mother and Red River Métis & 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. She is currently working toward a Master of Fine Arts 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. You can read more about her writing at www.aleriamck.com. 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 program that focuses on community service, cultural connection, leadership, and sisterhood.