Two First Nations women from Alberta are celebrating their achievements following their wins at the recent Miss Indigenous Canada competition.
Brooke Metchewais, a Plains Cree woman from the Cold Lake First Nations in Treaty 6, was announced as this year’s winner, while Heather Wolf Ear, from Siksika First Nations in Treaty 7, was first runner-up.
They were among 125 contestants who registered, and Metchewais said she was surprised she was one of just 20 delegates selected.
“I just called my mom and I Facetimed her and said, ‘Guess what!’ and I just had never seen her so excited before. Both of my parents were so excited for me,” said Metchewais.
Metchewais, 29, is currently working in the field of Indigenous health services in the Stó:lō Nation in Chilliwack, B.C. She also serves as a board director for the Child & Family Services Society. She says all of her work gives her the desire to keep giving back to the community.
“I want to be able to uplift all of us because we’re so much stronger together,” said Metchewais.
Metchewais said running for Miss Indigenous Canada was always in the back of her mind but that she was “too busy” with her own career goals.
Then, last December, previous Miss Indigenous Canada title holders Jessica McKenzie and Gena Boubard encouraged her to run — as did her mother. Metchewais also realized she was nearly at the cut-off age of 30.
“I said, ‘OK, this is kind of my shot here; I might as well just go for it.’ My mom was always bugging me, year after year, ‘Apply my girl!’ and telling me to dream big,” smiled Metchewais.
This year’s competition included First Nation and Métis delegates from across Canada and was held from July 20-25 in Six Nations of the Grand River, with the final showcase at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford, Ont.
Delegates are judged based on a personal interview and essay, a cultural presentation, and a community scrapbook that exemplifies the work they have done in their communities. During the final week, delegates were judged on their prepared statements and final question rounds.
Metchewais said she will use her new platform to speak with local and national governments about the need for more funding for Indigenous child and family services. She said the current funding models are not working and that they fail to provide sustainable and long-term support for families in need.
“I do want to uplift those voices, I want to be more present in that area at the larger tables and always voicing for change,” said Metchewais.
Heather Wolf Ear, 27, was named this year’s first runner-up for Miss Indigenous Canada and also won Miss Congeniality. Wolf Ear is Blackfoot from Siksika First Nations in Alberta, and currently calls Vancouver Island, B.C., home.
“For me, I was very much running for that little girl version of myself who never got to complete her story,” said Wolf Ear.
Wolf Ear said she and Metchewais became close friends during the competition and she was excited to share the stage with her.
“When my name was called for first runner-up, I didn’t have that sting of loss or it didn’t feel like a devastating blow. What I felt was excitement, excitement for Brooke — and it was an honour to be part of the process,” Wolf Ear said.
Although Siksika is home, Wolf Ear said her mother was involved in the Sixties Scoop and later started a family in B.C.
Wolf Ear attended high school in B.C. and then studied accounting at the University of Calgary. She is currently finishing a master’s degree in sustainability with the University of Saskatchewan and works full-time as a project and resource lead for the ImaGENation program in the Indigenous Clean Energy youth team.
“We’re pushing forward in community clean energy projects. We’re seeing a lot of retrofitted buildings for solar panels, greenhouses, and food and energy sovereignty initiatives, so I am hoping to support those youth through their project life cycles,” said Wolf Ear.
Wolf Ear said she had not participated in a competition like this since she lost her uncle Leo Wolf Ear in 2013. She said she dedicated her cultural performance to him and to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.
“I think it was a really full-circle moment and this competition allowed me to let go of grief I didn’t even realize I was still hanging onto. It really was a beautiful experience for me and I would encourage any young Indigenous people to apply,” said Wolf Ear.
Kymberly Farmer, who is Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River, made the crown and sash for the competition.
“I came up with the idea of having all of the flowers connected because, to me, connectedness is the root source of all of our communities,” said Farmer, who is the current Miss Six Nations and assistant director of the Miss Indigenous Canada committee.
She said she spent more than 135 hours crafting the traditional Haudenosaunee design, consulting and finally beading the crown and sash.
“I hand-turned every single one of the [24-karat] gold beads so that the sparkle faces outwards.… It’s such a labour of love,” said Farmer.
Metchewais said for her, the crown and sash holds a spirit and responsibility that should be respected, a sentiment that Farmer echoed both physically and symbolically.
“The crown and sash goes to where it’s needed most and I think that’s a really beautiful sentiment in itself,” said Farmer.
