Победительница конкурса Miss Indigenous Canada намерена внедрить программу женской эмансипации в родном сообществе

The sweltering spotlight of an Ontario stage did little to hide thousands of eyes. With a deep breath, 27-year-old Kiauna Cote walked onstage for the first time to represent Ochapowace Nation and Treaty 4 territory in the annual Miss Indigenous Canada pageant at Sanderson Centre in Brantford. “It was very uncomfortable,” recalled Cote, thinking back to her debut. But that quickly changed for the University of Saskatchewan law student, who used the word "transformational" to describe her time at the five-day event in late July. Cote hopes to share some of the lessons learned with her home community and empower others. “I’m excited to be able to exercise this wave of confidence that has been entrenched through this program. I want to bring it home," said Cote, who won both the Charitable Giving and People's Choice awards at the pageant. Connecting to culture The Miss Indigenous Canada program, which started in 2024, is designed to create ambassadors through the development of leadership skills, giving back to their communities and connecting to their culture. The program has a retreat-style structure, complete with formal dinners, guest speakers, workshops, cultural tours and other activities that align with the theme of empowering women. The pageant portion comes on the final day, when delegates from Indigenous communities across Canada give three-minute presentations on a chosen topic related to their heritage — in culturally inspired attire. Winners receive a share of over $6,000 in cash and prizes. Delegates get their feet wet with pre-program experiences before gathering for the main event. There are workshops and online modules on topics such as: community and personal leadership, public speaking, media engagement and interview skills, community engagement, professional conduct and networking, and grant writing. Participants get to interact with each other and meet with a committee to learn more about individual mentorship opportunities. They're also tasked with fundraising for a cause chosen by the Miss Indigenous ambassador from the year prior. The 2026 delegates raised money for Sunshine House Charity, a harm-reduction home in Winnipeg. Cote described it as "a place for people to have some comfort and protection and culture." Cote received the Charitable Giving award by raising $10,000 of the $47,000 collected for Sunshine House. According to the Miss Indigenous Canada website, the program has raised more than $83,000 for various charities since its inception. Cote wants to bring the experience home. “I’m slowly sitting with that idea, trying to envision how to make it come to life," she said. "I know it’s not going to be one person that makes this happen. It’s going to take a team. It’s going to take commitment, community. I think that’s one thing I brought home: I really want to have a program that empowers our women to use their voice, to gain more knowledge, and to become the best versions of themselves." Editor's Picks The power of storytelling Cote said she bonded with other delegates through storytelling. They shared experiences of what it's like in their homes and communities as well as what they want to do and see in the future. "We also shared a lot in just our humour," she said. "We’re able to laugh together. I left a lot of our sessions with a sore belly because we would just laugh." Although Miss Indigenous Canada is ultimately a competition, Cote's experience showed it was much more. "It was about sisterhood and making beautiful relations and memories," she said. "One thing I reflected on was even though one person takes home the crown, she goes where she is needed." In the coming weeks, 2026 winner Brooke Metchewais is expected to join Cote in Ochapowace to host an empowerment session. The Miss Indigenous Canada program is about coming together and finding ways of healing and uplifting people, Cote said. Much like the ambassador title, the privilege of simply participating also comes with certain obligations, she added. "We all still have a responsibility to uplift (Metchewais), to support her and to support each other as we move forward together," Cote said. "You don’t do community work for a crown. "We all left knowing that the work still continues."