This year’s Miss Indigenous Canada, Gena Boubard, represents a new way to think about wearing a sash. “In the past, there was a strong focus on external beauty, but here they are looking for substance — for how involved in community you are, for leadership,” said Boubard, a 24-year-old Anishinaabe from Sagkeeng First Nation in Treaty 1 territory.
The makeup artist, model and advocate for Two-Spirit youth, who has previously competed in Miss World Canada, was crowned on July 26. “Being a part of the pageant was beautiful. The way we supported each other was very powerful.”
Miss Indigenous Canada is a youth-led effort, says its founder, Aleria McKay, a 25-year-old Onondaga and Teme-Augama Anishnabai raised on Six Nations of the Grand River. In 2022, the idea for this competition came to the poet and 10-year pageant veteran who’s competed in Miss Teenage Canada, Miss World Canada and Miss Universe Canada. “It sounds a bit silly, but I had a very, very vivid dream of what we could make this: about community, culture and leadership.”
McKay’s vision hit a nerve: her first Facebook post for last year’s inaugural pageant drew interest from 600 people across the country. In 2025, 20 contestants, including the first Métis and Inuk candidates, took to the stage. Mothers and married women are welcome. There was a pregnant contestant this year.
Inclusivity is the point, not an afterthought. “There are lots of barriers in Indigenous culture across the country,” McKay said. “Not everyone has status. We opened the applications up to anyone who has community references and letters from community leadership.”
The pageant includes interviews with the judging panel, a community scrapbook showcasing involvement in home communities or urban areas, cultural presentations and personal essays about what the pageant means to the contestants.
This year, the cultural talent portions on display included jingle dress, Métis jigging, sports, storytelling and sharing teachings, all of which served to showcase a wide breadth of Indigenous experiences.
“This is not a beauty pageant. Obviously there is no swimsuit category,” McKay said. “The dress-up part is fun, a chance to get fancy. But the point is the sisterhood. It is connecting with people from across the country. The comment we got most from our contestants was that it felt more like a summer camp retreat than a competition.”
Boubard’s community contributions impressed the judges. An advocate for Two-Spirit youth across Turtle Island, they recently established the first Pride Committee in their home community in Manitoba, and facilitated the first Sagkeeng Pride celebration this past June.
Boubard proudly identifies as non-binary and Two-Spirit, which can mean different things to different people. “It is a term some Indigenous people use to describe aspects of identity that are both masculine and feminine,” they said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with external looks.”
Participating in pageants “is about honouring the feminine parts of my identity,” Boubard said.
They asked Indigenous fashion design star Lesley Hampton to collaborate on a custom dress for the big day. “My spirit name is White Thunderbird Woman,” Boubard said, explaining that the white feathered gown perfectly tapped into the meaning of their name. At one point, they wore it with a Pride flag wrapped around their shoulders on stage.
This is the second year Hampton has dressed a contestant for the pageant. “I find the idea of empowering these participants as they connect with their culture to be really beautiful,” she said. “I love dressing them for their journey.”
After Boubard’s win, they arrived back at the Winnipeg airport to be greeted by a crew of friends and family. “They sang me in with drum and song, welcoming the crown home. I burst into tears,” they said.
But this journey has just begun. As the 2025 title holder, Boubard hopes to visit as many Indigenous communities across the country as possible. “It means a lot to represent Indigenous youth across the country, to witness struggles and triumphs,” they say. “I want to honour the diversity of experiences out there.”
