Jessica McKenzie Wins Inaugural Miss Indigenous Canada
Jessica McKenzie, a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation, has been crowned the first-ever Miss Indigenous Canada. The 30-year-old, originally from The Pas in northern Manitoba and now residing in Toronto, secured her win on Saturday in the Haudenosaunee territory of Six Nations of the Grand River in southern Ontario.
“I’m honestly so humbled, I’m so overwhelmed,” McKenzie expressed to CBC following her victory. “I just really wanted to do this for my community, so a big shout out to Opaskwayak Cree Nation.”
The pageant saw 26 Indigenous women from across Canada, selected from over 700 applicants, vying for the title. McKenzie was one of four representatives from Manitoba First Nations.
Unlike traditional beauty pageants, Miss Indigenous Canada focuses on community and culture, a factor that drew many participants, including McKenzie. “It wasn’t about beauty, it was more around community and culture,” she explained. “It’s something on my healing journey that I really needed at the time, and I think that that’s different from any colonial pageant that we see out there.”
McKenzie emphasized the importance of staying true to her roots throughout the competition. “Standing on that stage, you have to be true to who you are, and you have to know who you are from the core,” she said. Her cultural practices and ceremonies played a vital role in her preparation, underscoring the pageant’s emphasis on cultural authenticity and community support.
The supportive atmosphere among the contestants made the experience particularly memorable for McKenzie. “It was just such a beautiful journey, and just being here with the ladies and really making sure that we all support each other has just really been a loving experience,” she shared.
McKenzie’s win has also inspired her nine-year-old stepdaughter, Sophia Ferrier. “I felt so proud for my mom, and not just because she won, but because I think she deserved this opportunity,” Ferrier told CBC. “Someday when I’m older, I probably might sign up for Miss Indigenous Canada, and I am going to feel the same strong way that my second mother felt.”
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs celebrated McKenzie’s achievement in a Facebook post on Saturday, calling it a “remarkable” accomplishment. They praised her for representing Opaskwayak with grace and distinction during the pageant.
Jessica McKenzie’s victory not only marks a personal triumph but also stands as a significant moment of pride and representation for the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Indigenous communities across Canada.
