Siletz news /, January 01, 2002, Page 6, Image 6

TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Miss Siletz Takes Part in NCAI Pageant
by Waleeska Riding In
Hello! I want to take this
opportunity to share with everyone my
experience as a contestant for the Miss
NCAI (National Congress of American
Indians) pageant that took place at the
end of November in Spokane, Wash.
I competed with five other amazing
girls. I am proud to have had the
opportunity to meet them. Because not
that many girls competed, we had the
chance to really get to know each other.
Saturday, Nov. 24, on the first day
we arrived, there was an orientation
where we first met with everyone. The
other girls and their chaperones were
there. The pageant coordinators
explained rules, guidelines, and all that
good stuff to us.
At 3 p.m., we were scheduled to
go to the Coeur d’Alene casino to
promote the pageant. The most exciting
part of that day was when a limousine
picked us up. The chaperones had to
ride in the shuttle and each contestant
and Miss NCAI 2000 rode in the limo.
It was a 30 to 45 minute drive, so
that gave all of us girls a chance to
introduce ourselves and really get to
know each other.
Liberty Toledo, the outgoing
Miss NCAI, is 22 and goes to Idaho
State University.
Sunday, Nov. 25, was the day of
the Miss NCAI breakfast. Each of us
girls had the opportunity to honor
Liberty with a gift that was
representative of our respective tribes.
I gave her a key chain made of beads
Above: Ke Aloha Alo, Miss Indian
World (I); Waleeska Riding In,
Miss Siletz; and Evonne Wilson,
Miss Indian USA
Right: Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.,
and Waleeska Riding In
and nacet shells. The interview part of
the pageant also took place. In the
afternoon, we had a dress rehearsal.
Monday, Nov. 26, was the Miss
NCAI honor luncheon. We met people,
introduced ourselves, and promoted the
pageant. This also was the day of the
pageant. We were judged on our
speaking abilities, talent, and traditional
dress. It was exciting.
The theatre where the pageant was
actually held was so crowded that some
of the audience had to stand in the
doorway to watch. I felt so happy to be
a part of it all. The new Miss NCAI is
Ponka-We Victors of the Tohono
O’odham Nation and it is an honor to
have competed with her.
The experience was so much more
than I could ever write about it. I’m a
public relations major, so one thing that
I got out of the conference was public
speaking experience. I’m no stranger to
public speaking, but it’s been a few years
and the crowds seem to be getting bigger.
The Youth Commission conference
was going on at the same time and as
contestants, we were encouraged to go
because we are considered youth (ages
13-24). With being in the pageant, it
wasn’t so easy to attend every panel that
I wanted to. As a contestant, we were
obligated to be in certain places at
certain times and sometimes we missed
the really good panels that the Youth
Commission had scheduled. There were
various receptions and luncheons that
we could attend.
I met so many incredible and
amazing people and some new
opportunities have opened up to me. It
would have been great to win and some
people were hopeful that I would win.
Even after the pageant was over, people
I didn’t even know or hadn’t met came
up to me to tell me that they thought I
was going to win.
At the conference when people spoke
of us as contestants, they explained to
audiences that it takes a lifetime to be
where we are. Our daily decisions as
young people affect our lives. I have great
people in my life and I have had great
opportunities in my past.
I want everyone who reads this to
know that I was out there representing
you. I’m representing the tribe and my
other tribes, my family, and myself. I
was myself on that stage and I did well.
I am very comfortable with my
performance and the way I presented
myself. I am proud to have had such
wonderful support.
Thank you to everyone for your
continuing love, support, under­
standing, wisdom, and prayers. I’m glad
you have faith in me because
I have faith that our tribe will
grow stronger.
How Do You Talk To Your Kids About Drugs?
Get Advice, Share
Ideas with Other
Parents on the Web
In today’s world, talking to children
about drugs is a challenge all parents
face. Good Housekeeping magazine and
the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
Campaign have collaborated on an
initiative designed to engage parents in
a national conversation about their kids
and drug prevention.
In the November issue of Good
Housekeeping, parents were invited to
write in or log on to share advice about
how they keep their kids healthy and
drug free.
6
□
Siletz News
□
Parents say they understand how
important it is to talk to their kids about
drugs. Yet, they wonder if their kids will
listen to them, and some worry that they
don’t always know what to say. Research
shows that kids look to parents - not to
friends or teachers - on the big issues.
According to the Partnership for a
Drug-Free America, kids who learn
about the risks of drug use from their
parents are less likely to use drugs. And
two-thirds of teens say losing their
parents’ respect and pride is one of the
main reasons they don’t smoke
marijuana or use other drugs.
January 2002
Log on to TheAntiDrug.com or
write to Good Housekeeping,
959 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY
10019 to get advice or share your
thoughts on parenting and how you talk
to your kids about drug use.
•
•
•
What have you learned as a parent?
How do you talk to your kids
about drugs?
How should you answer the hard
questions that kids ask?
For more information and free
resources on drug prevention, go to
www.mediacampaign.org.
Parents Get Help to
Keep Kids Drug Free
To provide parents and caregivers
with real-life tips on how to keep kids
drug free, the National Youth Anti-Drug
Media Campaign has produced a free
drug prevention brochure in
collaboration with parents and parenting
experts from across the country.
Community coalitions, parents, and
others involved in youth substance
abuse prevention can order copies of
“Keeping Your Kids Drug Free: A How-
To Guide for Parents and Caregivers”
via phone at 1-800-788-2800.