Destiny Kitlamuxin admits she had some initial reservations about competing in an upcoming event.
But now Kitlamuxin, a member of Ahousaht First Nation, is rather keen that she’s been chosen to take part in the Miss Indigenous Canada pageant.
The competition, which runs July 23-27, will be held in Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario. Six Nations, located about 100 kilometres from Toronto, is the most populated First Nation in Canada.
This marks the second year that Miss Indigenous Canada will be staged. The inaugural event was also in Six Nations.
Kitlamuxin, who is 27 and has lived in Vancouver her whole life, said she heard about the event last year through some networking.
So, she decided to send in an application for the 2025 event.
“I didn't really expect much of it,” Kitlamuxin said. “It's just something that came up that I thought I could be a part of.”
Kitlamuxin was notified early this year that she had been selected as one of the 20 contestants for this year’s competition.
“When I got accepted at first, I didn't want to do it because I felt it was too out of whim,” she said, adding it took talking to her peers and people she trusts that convinced her to change her mind.
Kitlamuxin had never entered a pageant before.
“This is just something that I thought would be really awesome to be a part of,” she said. “It was just a few of my friends that were talking to me about it.”
Miss Indigenous Canada is unlike many other pageants, which focus on the contestants’ looks.
All entrants must write an essay and also be interviewed as part of the competition. They must also partake in a cultural presentation and create a scrapbook, providing some insightful details of their home community.
“There's a lot of preparation,” Kitlamuxin said.
Despite her initial hesitations, Kitlamuxin is looking forward to the event. When asked why she wants to compete, Kitlamuxin said, “I think being around other Indigenous women that are confident in their abilities to create leadership and changes in their community. I'm just looking forward to being around those kinds of people.”
Part of the pageant scoring is the over-all impression one leaves.
“I think it feels good,” Kitlamuxin said of the fact it is one of the pageant components. “I think we deserve to feel beauty within ourselves. So, it can be about that. It depends on what people bring to it. But I think for the most part it's about having Indigenous resiliency and sharing our components of our community and what we bring from our community and our Nations.”
Kitlamuxin is also pleased leadership attributes are included. And she is happy to provide information about her Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation.
She is an Ahousaht member through her mother Janet Keitlah.
“I never saw myself being in a pageant, to be honest,” Kitlamuxin said. “But I think that if we can share the parts of our community and our culture and be proud of that, I think it's really awesome to show that.”
And now she’s rather pumped that she will be part of the event.
“I'm excited,” she said. “I think I'm going for the experience and to be around other strong Indigenous woman.”
She added she’s not concerning herself about any particular placing at Miss Indigenous Canada.
“I want to go for the experience,” she said. “That's my whole priority - going in to just be inspired by other Indigenous women to do great.”
The event will include workshops, guest speakers and museum tours.
All contestants are required to pay a $1600 registration fee, which covers their accommodations and meals.
“I’m supposed to be looking for sponsorships,” Kitlamuxin said. “But I'm pretty busy. I have two jobs. And I'm also going back to school and figuring out my ends.”
For the past three years Kitlamuxin has been working as an Indigenous cultural liaison worker with RainCity Housing, a Vancouver-based charitable organization that provides housing and support programs for those experiencing homelessness and mental health, trauma and substance use issues.
Kitlamuxin was also recently hired as a child and youth worker by the Surrey Schools.
Plus, she’ll be returning to her own studies in September, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in social work at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.
She previously spent two years studying at Native Education College in Vancouver. She was able to transfer her credits from that school to her new program.
Kitlamuxin was asked whether she will consider entering other pageants in the future.
“Probably,” she said. “I'll see how I feel. I'm kind of open to any ideas of what life brings me.”
Kitlamuxin said she has never met Ashley Callingbull, a member of Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta, who was crowned Miss Universe Canada last year. But she herself is inspired by Callingbull.
“I think she's doing a lot of great work,” Kitlamuxin said. “She's inspiring other Indigenous women to be leaders and to advocate.”
The Miss Indigenous Canada competition is open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit women with a verifiable community affiliation. Entrants must be Canadian residents. And they must also be between the ages of 18-30.
