Former Comanche Nation Princess Runs for Miss Indian World

Former Comanche Nation Princess Michelle Nevaquaya ran for Miss Indian World from April 22 through April 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She competed in several categories, including an essay contest, one-on-one interviews, a talent show, public speaking and a dance competition.

Nevaquaya said she’s always known about Miss Indian World. She said it took about a month to submit the application, and then she began doing cultural lessons with Sam DeVenney and Lloyd Heminokeky after she was accepted.

“So, every Sunday, they would come over to my home, and we'd always talk about a lot of our Comanche customs and our history,” she said. “So, it was very helpful going into the competition just to have a lot more knowledge about our Comanche culture.”

Nevaquaya said her days began around 7 a.m. and ended at 11 p.m.

“It was very busy just going through everything,” she said. “But I got through it, and it was very great.”

On Thursday, April 25, the talent show was held at Kiva Auditorium in downtown Albuquerque. Nevaquaya presented the Comanche Woman’s Journey Song, which she said is a forgotten tradition in Comanche culture.

“The song was about this woman and her man, and she's seeing him off the night before he goes off on a war party. And she doesn't know when he's going to come back from it. So, she's going to stay where she's at without moving until he returns, no matter how long it takes for him to return,” she said. “So, that's what I sang about in my talent show. So, it was very great getting to sing that because nobody's heard this song. So…it was exciting to do. And I hope everybody enjoyed it.”

The public speaking contest occurred on Friday, April 26, at Stage 49, while the parade was at Expo New Mexico.

The dance competition, held after the Gathering of Nations’ grand entry, occurred on Friday, April 26, at Tingley Coliseum at Expo New Mexico.

“During the dance competition, it was very exciting because the atmosphere was great in the arena and there were so many people watching us,” Nevaquaya said. “So, it felt good to dance in front of everybody and showcase a buckskin dance for everyone. So, I definitely enjoyed it a lot.”

She said she enjoyed the competition.

“I thought the entire thing was great. Every day I took one competition, you know, just one by one, just focused on what was happening that day,” Nevaquaya said. “Like the personal interviews, I just focused on the interviews. And the next day, I focused on the talent show. So, I just took everything in one by one as we went on throughout the entire week.”

She said it’s been years since Oklahoma was represented in Miss Indian World.

“The last time we've had a Miss Indian World representing Oklahoma was in 1996 by Crystal Pewo-Lightfoot. And she represents the Apache tribe. And then the only Comanche Miss Indian World was Janet Saupitty, and she represented in 1991,” Nevauquaya said. “So, I wanted to run and bring back that title, this positive prestigious title, back to southwest of Oklahoma and regenerate our pride and our culture and our communities. And the support that, you know, the Comanches, our community, that they've shown me throughout everything, I wanted to show that for all indigenous nations across the United States and Canada.”

She said she’s still unsure if she’ll run again.

“I have a lot of time to think about running again,” Nevaquaya said. “Right now, I think I'm going to settle and just relax. And maybe I may run again in the future.”

She wanted to thank the community for its support throughout her Miss Indian World Competition.

“They gave me so many loving, encouraging words. And many of the Comanches, they followed me out there to Albuquerque. So, it was very special to see them out there. And it felt like I was back at home seeing them there,” Nevaquaya said. “So, I just want to thank a lot of our Comanches for coming out to Albuquerque and supporting me. And a lot of our non-locals Comanches, I'm very happy I got to meet them because they came up to me and they introduced themselves to me. So, it was great to see them come far away just to come watch the Miss Indian World pageant.”

And her overall thoughts on the Miss Indian World title…

“It was really exciting to know that if I did win, I would represent all nations,” Nevaquaya said. “It's definitely a huge deal, and it's a big responsibility to take on, too. And I was ready to do that as well.”

Miss Indian World was announced on Saturday, April 27, at Tingley Coliseum.