As the newly crowned 56th Miss Indian Arizona, 20-year-old Mariah Jordan Sharpe is bringing the title back to where it started.

Her grandfather's sister is Veronica Homer, who won the first Miss Indian Arizona title in 1961, according to Sharpe.

Both women are Mohave members of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Tribal headquarters are in Parker, a small town near Lake Havasu City.

The first Miss Indian Arizona pageant was at the Arizona State Fair. Sharpe won the title Saturday at the Chandler Center for the Arts.

"It's still surreal to me. It's still a feeling I haven't grasped yet. I see the crown and I see the sash, but it hasn't hit me fully," Sharpe said.

"I guess you could say growing up, I always saw myself as being Miss Indian Arizona one day, and it's a dream that came true."

From shy to shining

Sharpe, who grew up in Parker with her parents and two older sisters, wasn't always sure she had what it took to win the title.

She said she was a jock in high school, playing volleyball, basketball and golf, and was very shy. She initially began competing in pageants at 14 to improve her social skills.

"I was an introvert, and I didn't like it. I went to my mom a month before our Junior Miss (Colorado River Indian Tribes) pageant and told her, 'Hey, Mom, I wanna run. ... I want to come out of my shell and be able to express myself to our community.' ...

"We spent a whole month preparing for a pageant and then came pageant time, I was on that stage in front of our community scared as ever, shaking, and look where it's landed me."

Since then, she has won other tribal pageants and become friends with other winners, including Danielle Ta’Sheena Finn, who was crowned the 2016-17 Miss Indian World, the Native equivalent of Miss Universe.

Sharpe had another nervous moment Saturday before the talent portion of the competition, for which she planned to describe the traditional process of harvesting from mesquite trees and sing a Mohave lullaby.

"I was behind the curtains. I was nervous, I was kind of shaking and I took a moment for myself and I was praying to creator or praying to God, 'Calm my nerves, allow me to spread my cultural knowledge with the crowd, allow me to get my message across to the best of my abilities.'

"So when I stepped on to the stage, it was weird because everything, like my nerves, my jitters, had all gone away once the spotlight hit me. I think that was the best moment of the weekend."

Representing Arizona's 22 tribes

Miss Indian Arizona represents the state's 22 indigenous tribes, spending a year traveling as a cultural goodwill ambassador and role model.

"It's a title where you're learning constantly every day. It's a title where you're going to reservations that you may not have gone to before, and so it's truly a learning process," Sharpe said.

Two members of each of Arizona's Native American tribes who are 17 to 24 years old can compete. Contestants show their tribal knowledge and principals through segments: participating in an interview, performing a talent, wearing traditional dress and giving a presentation.

Sharpe also competed last year and took the place of second runner-up, which is called second attendant.

As this year's winner, she replaces Shaandiin Paul Parrish of the Navajo Nation. Sharpe also receives $5,200 in scholarship money.

Sharpe is currently studying exercise science and personal training at Paradise Valley Community College. After her reign is over, she hopes to transfer to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to earn her bachelor's degree before applying to medical school.