Dianne L Stallings

Ruidoso News

Megan Byers and Sophia Ponce, members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, will compete in the Miss Indian World Pageant as part of the 33rd Annual Gathering of Nations.

The gathering is considered the most prominent Native American powwow in the world, and is conducted between April 28 to April 30 in Albuquerque. As part of the Gathering of Nations, 24 Native American women representing their different tribes and traditions will compete for the title in the areas of cultural tribal knowledge, dancing ability, public speaking and personality assessment.

“Being named Miss Indian World is one of the most prestigious honors a young Native American woman can achieve for herself and her tribe as the title is highly respected in the Native American and indigenous world,” Melonie Mathews, organizer of the Miss Indian World Pageant, said. “Equivalent to the Miss America title, the winner will represent all native and indigenous people throughout North America and will serve as a cultural goodwill ambassador throughout the world.”

Megan Byers, 19, is the daughter of Jennifer and Doug Byers. She grew up in Mescalero and her family names include La Paz and Sundayman.

"I am currently a six-year cadet at the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell," she said. "I've been going there for all four years of high school and then two years of junior college, and I will graduate in May with an associate's degree in criminal justice."

She will attend New Mexico State University in the fall and hopes to work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, coming back to Mescalero as a BIA police officer.

"When I first went to (NMMI), I got real interested in it, because they had a criminal justice program and my mom was appointed judge not too long after, and that was her field of work," Byers said. "I've gone to the pageant since I was about 12 and I always saw the girls and they were so pretty, I wanted to be one of them and I wanted to be Miss Indian World. My mom and dad pushed real hard to try it, so I jumped in."

The contestants in the pageant look like good role models, she said.

"I want to be a role model," Byers said. "I think that is a really good channel to push myself into and reach out to other people from all over North America. If I win, for me it would mean I was living my dream. It will allow me to fulfill my goal of being a role model and reaching out to other teens and females, telling them they can do whatever they want to do.

"Representing my tribe would be another big reason, to give me the opportunity to showcase what my tribe is about and what we value and how we approach things.

I'm really excited just for the experience. Winning would be the icing on the cake. I'm thankful for those who have supported me through this process, especially my parents."

Sophia Ponce, 25, spent her early years in Mescalero, attended community college in Denver and Eastern New Mexico University in Ruidoso ,where she studied business law, humanities and history. She has four brothers and seven sisters and is the daughter of Claudia Morales and Denny Peralto.

Ponce lived in several locations with her mother, who loved to travel, an avocation Ponce continues to enjoy. Immersion in non-Native American cultures gave Ponce an opportunity to share her culture with other people.

"It always made me laugh, because some people would think I was Polynesian or Asian," Ponce said. "They always asked questions, because some still believed we didn't have plumbing and lived in teepees. People who live close to a reservation know better, but others thought we just danced by a fire all day."

Ponce plans to attend school in the fall and works as a receptionist in Ruidoso.

"I've done a lot of different jobs, because I like to travel and I've been to many different places. I'm excited about my opportunity to compete in The Miss Indian World at the Gathering of Nations this year, and I'm excited to meet all the girls competing and learn a little bit about who they are and where they come from," she said.

"I hope to travel and be a representative and speak on behalf of my culture and my people and to shine a little light on Native Americans and on the issues that are happening, and by doing that, maybe we will come together to solve some of those issues."

Many people motivated her and helped her gain the courage to move forward, she said.

"At first, you might be a little intimidated, but when you think of the competition and all that you have to offer, you regain some of that confidence and it excites you to be able to compete against some of the outstanding women in this country and Canada," she said. "I'm just a regular person with a regular job with a regular life and I'm going after something I truly believe is a dream. I feel if you have the slightest flicker in your heart to do something, to go for it. That small flicker could turn into a wildfire.".

The pageant will begin April 28 at the Albuquerque Convention Center’s Kiva Auditorium and will feature the traditional talent presentations from each contestant.

On April 29, at the Gathering of Nations powwow at WisePies Arena, The Pit, the contestants will participate in the speaking competition at Stage 49 and a dance competition. The final announcement and crowning of Miss Indian World will occur on April 30. The new Miss Indian World will travel to many native and indigenous communities throughout the world on behalf of the powwow.

Tickets for the Miss Indian World Pageant on April 28 are $15 and will be available at the door the night of the event. Tickets to the Gathering of Nations powwow cost $18 per day, or $36 for a two-day pass and can be purchased at the door. The Miss Indian World Pageant can also be followed on Twitter by going to twitter.com/MissIndianWorld.