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The reigning Miss Hozhoni 2009-10, Seratha Largie. Fort Lewis College

Fort Lewis College’s Miss Hozhoni Pageant begins March 22, 2010

By Wanbli Ota

President, Wanbli Ota
(970) 764-7197

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

DURANGO, CO - The Miss Hozhoni Pageant, part of Fort Lewis College’s Hozhoni Days celebration, begins Monday, March 22 with the contestant introductions. The introductions will begin at 6 p.m. at the FLC Native American Center. All of the Miss Hozhoni Pageant events are free and open to the public.
 
This year’s five Miss Hozhoni hopefuls are:

•     * Jennifer Bennis: Curyung (Aleut and Yupik from Dillingham, Alaska); junior; majoring in elementary education
•     * Caryn L. Hacker: Rosebud Sioux (Seaford, VA) ; junior; double major in anthropology and art
•     * Francine S. Hathathlie: Navajo (Tuba City); junior; majoring in chemistry; minor in biology
•     * Katygene Jackson: Navajo (Many Farms, AZ); freshman; majoring in secondary education; minor in Native American & Indigenous Studies
•     * Stephanie Moses: Orutsararmuit Native Council (Bethel, Alaska); sophomore; majoring in psychology; minor in sociology

Something like Miss America, a new Miss Hozhoni is selected every year after the Pageant, which includes talent competitions, traditional food presentations and a question and answer session. Her role is to act as an ambassador for Fort Lewis College, the Native American Center, and Wanbli Ota, the student organization that organizes Hozhoni Days.

With the recent action surrounding Colorado House Bill 10-1067, which would have reduced the state’s support for the Native American Tuition Waiver available at Fort Lewis College, the College’s Native American student population has garnered state and regional attention. The Bill was eventually withdrawn. The Native American students at Fort Lewis College represent over 120 tribes from across that country and make up about 20 percent of the total student body.

The Miss Hozhoni Pageant is a three-day pageant consisting of public speaking (March 22), traditional food presentations (March 23), and traditional/modern talent presentations (March 24). The public speaking and traditional food presentations will take place at the Native American Center beginning at 6 p.m. The talent presentations will be in the Student Union Ballroom, also beginning at 6 p.m.

The current Miss Hozhoni, Seratha Largie (Navajo), will pass on her crown to the new Miss Hozhoni at the Hozhoni Days Powwow taking place March 26 and 27, 2010.

“I came in as a freshman and didn’t know anybody. I was trying to find a way to get involved in school, but I wasn’t sure how,” Seratha says of her decision to run for Miss Hozhoni last year. “I talked to a couple of people at the Native American Center and a couple of them had encouraged me to run for Miss Hozhoni so I decided to do it and to my surprise I got it.” She adds that, “It’s something I’m really proud of because I did it on my own.”

Hozhoni Days serves to highlight and celebrate the unique history of Fort Lewis College. Fort Lewis began as a military post before it was made into an Indian boarding school. Eventually the Indian school changed into a rural high school and the land it sat on was transferred from the federal government to the state of Colorado with the agreement that Native American students would be admitted free of tuition. From that beginning, the public liberal arts college that Fort Lewis College is today was born and Native American students continue to receive their educations here tuition-free.

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