April 25 marks the University of Arizonas 43rd Annual Miss Native American Pageant at the Tornabene Theater at the College of Fine Arts.
The pageant, organized by the student-led club Miss Native University of Arizona, also known as MNUA, selects a student ambassador to represent the Native American community at the University of Arizona.
This year the pageant is hosting five contestants, including two for the newly added Mr. Native American UA title.
We hold a very important job in terms of being in the community and carrying our cultural representation and continuing higher education. Thats what were here to promote, said Daelyn Nez, 25, the current Miss Native University of Arizona.
Contending for the newly added Mr. Native UA title this year are constants Kendrick Begay and Cody Tsinnijinnie, both from the Navajo Nation.
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The Mr. Native UA title holders will have the same responsibilities as Miss Native UA, Nez said.
Six contestants and judges stand on the stage of last year's Miss Native American University of Arizona on April 4, 2025 at Gallagher Theater.
Together I do think theyre going to be a stronger pair, and its a lot easier when you have two people doing one thing at a time than it is just doing it by yourself, she said.
Miss Native UA requires a lot of hard work supporting students and talking with tribal leaders and UA administration, she said.
Its rewarding because you get to learn that experience of how to work and navigate, and network, but its a lot easier when you have support, and so I think theyll be stronger than just one, she said.
Often, as a representative of Indigenous students on campus, Miss Native UA goes to events alone and sometimes in unfamiliar areas, especially for out-of-state travel. Adding a second person will help ensure the safety of Miss and Mr. Native UA, said Amber Laughing, 28, the full-time staff advisor for MNUA.
There has also been more interest from men who wanted to participate in the pageant, she added.
We saw how successful Mr. has been at NAU and ASU, and it was with the advocacy of male students here at UA that they were like this is something that we want to do, we want to represent our communities, Laughing said.
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The role of Miss and Mr. Native UA is to represent Indigenous students and speak up for their needs, Nez said.
As MNUA our whole goal is to promote higher education and we can do that through resiliency, Nez said.
This year, many Native students didnt feel comfortable speaking up following the , including Native American Student Affairs.
So I relayed information to the administration from students, Nez said. Thats what my position as MNUA has been for my whole reign was really being that middle person talking to administration just because a lot of changes happened within the first semester.
Daelyn Nezs expression when her name was called out as the winner of last year's Miss Native University of Arizona at the Gallagher Theater on April 5, 2025.
Unlike other cultural centers at the University of Arizona, Native American Student Affairs and other Native communities dont have a student council that gives students a voice in decision-making, she said.
Our Native community doesnt have an effective way to go about that and most of the time our Native student voices are not really heard. So I learned really quickly that as MNUA, they refer to you, Nez said.
Nez, from Indian Wells, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, is graduating in fall 2026.
For me, I knew a year was going to go by fast and so I wanted all these newer students to realize that as undergraduate students, you have so much power in your voice to make our institution listen to us, she said.
Pageant preparation
As Miss Native UA, Nez is also in charge of hosting workshops for the contestants to improve their presentation skills for the pageant, offering support and encouragement on their platform presentations, she said.
What you present in your platform is what youre passionate about and its going to guide your reign throughout that whole year, Nez said.
This year, there are three contestants for the Miss Native UA: Laylalanai Gocobachi, Elyssa Russell and Hannah Williams.
Williams, 20, is representing the Navajo Nation from Window Rock, Arizona, in her third and final year of running for Miss Native UA.
Its going to be my last time as a senior next year, and I really wanted to be a part of the group again and see what it was like working with the Misters as well, Williams said.
In order to be eligible to run as a contestant, students have to be full-time students in the next school year and maintain a certain GPA.
Members of MNUA work hard for months securing space for the event, scheduling around other university events, finding sponsors and judges and inviting the community to participate, Nez said.
She also wrote thank-you letters to each contestant and judge to mark the end of her time as Miss Native UA.
Its better to give than receive and thats how I was taught, she said.
The pageant
All that hard work comes together on April 25, when the five contestants compete to be named Miss and Mr. Native American UA.
Before the pageant, judges conduct interviews with contestants privately, asking them a series of questions based on cultural knowledge and acquainting themselves with runners.
Thats the time the judges get to know the contestants and also get to hear their professional answers to some of their questions, Nez said.
At 2 p.m., the event kicks off, with two past MNUA title holders, Jasmine Lopez and Adira Mitchell, serving as emcees.
Pageant judges are seated at a table at the Miss Native University of Arizona pageant at the Gallagher Theater on April 5, 2025. Sherrie Log, left, was a former MNUA in 1999-2000.
The pageant starts with an opening prayer, followed by contestant introductions, talents, entertainment and then platform presentations. Last are impromptu questions.
Its really interesting because no one knows what question theyre going to get, theyll look at it, read it and then have 30 seconds to respond, Nez said.
Then the judges select the next Miss and Mr. Native UA.
Laughing, former Miss Native UA in 2017-2018, has overseen the contestant handbook and their applications as well as fundraisers, events and the pageants for the past three years.
She said the panel of judges changes every year, but for this event, the judges chosen are very involved within the University of Arizona and tribal communities surrounding Arizona.
We trust them to make the best decision to choose the next title holder, she said.
The pageant also includes The Peoples Choice, where each contestant creates and personalizes their own donation box, where attendees donate to whoever they would like to win.
This is where we get the funds to help the incoming court plan events for the upcoming year, Nez said.
At the end of the night, graduate students will help judges tally the scores and double-check if theyre correct and then Miss Native UA will give her farewell speech and winners will be announced.
Farewell speech
Nez said shes ready to pass on the title and the crown.
Ive had a lot of personal growth over the past year, so Im excited and now that its coming to an end, Nez said. I dont know whats going to happen, but Im sure everythings going to be okay.
She said her term was meant to pave the way for current and future students, including her little brother, who hopes to attend the UA someday.
Let me do as much as I can, because I want this place to be better than it is now. I want it to grow, so that you dont have to worry about things that other students have to worry about, she said.
Native American students deserve success within higher education, especially at a land grant university like UA, she said.
Im 100% sure that our club can continue to do the work, and I am ready to pass on the crown, Nez said.
The pageant is at 2 p.m. on April 25 at the Tornebene Theater, 1025 N. Olive Road, and is free to the public.
Iliana Amador is a student reporter at the University of Arizona, majoring in journalism. She is an Indigenous woman belonging to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, focusing on Indigenous and marginalized communities.
Arizona Sonoran 做厙勛圖 is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
