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 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 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/two-spirit 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 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
Top scoring contestants will go on to compete in the prepared statement and final question round during the final show.
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. In past years, with the support of our sponsors, we’ve been proud to provide over $6000 in cash and prizes to our contestants.
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. Since our inception, our contestants have raised over $34,000 in support of We Matter.
Pageant Weekend
Pageant weekend is a three-day, retreat-style event filled with workshops, tours, formal dinners, guest speakers, and activities. We work to provide an enriching experience outside of competition based activites. Transportation, accomodations, and meals during duration of the pageant will be provided for contestants.
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 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!