Roxy Navales is Northern Arapaho from the Wind River Reservation and has been selected to compete in the Miss Wyoming USA pageant.
Navales says that the competition is empowering to women and she’s honored to represent the Wind River Reservation in Casper next summer.
“I think it’s important that an Indigenous person goes to represent who lives here on the Wind River Reservation”, Navales said, “I can make a positive impact in the community.”
Navales is a substitute teacher at Arapahoe School and is enrolled at Central Wyoming College in Early Childhood Education and says she wants to become a teacher on the reservation and the surrounding area.
“I definitely want to teach Indigenous children,” Navales said when asked about her future career plans.
The pageant will consist of different rounds of interviewing, walking, and outfits.
Navales originally applied and didn’t think she’d get in but now she says that there are expenses like a registration fee and because of Covid-19 the contestants need to provide their own food and lodgings during the competition.
To support Navales run as Miss Wyoming USA and to stay up to date on her campaign a link to her fundraising page can be found here.