Charity Lewis was crowned 2024’s Miss Alaska Native Brotherhood at the ANB pageant held in June. The event showcased the cultural heritage of two contestants, Victoria Gray and Charity Lewis. Both participated in Miss ANB for the first time.
The pageant began with a welcome from Nome’s Mayor, John Handeland. He introduced the contestants as they took to the stage in traditional kuspuk dresses.
Gray took the stage in a purple floral kuspuk originally crafted for her great-grandmother, Carol Piscoya, along with a beaded beret gifted to her by her mother, Kimberly Piscoya-Gray.She also wore earrings and a necklace made in Diomede with old ivory by the late Roy Piscoya as well as seal slippers made in Shishmaref.
Lewis wore a light blue kuspuk crafted over 40 years ago by her great, great Aunt Josephine Ione along with porcupine earrings made by her grandmother, Delia Iyapana. Her hair was braided with red, white, and gold beads and on her feet were seal slippers also gifted to her by her grandmother. According to Lewis, they had not been worn for quite some time.
“My mukluks I had just gotten yesterday. When I got them, they were so hard. I had to wear them for a full hour at work just to break them in,” Lewis said. “They haven’t been worn since I don’t know, 40, 50 years.”
After the introductions the contestants were guided through a question and answer segment where they shared the values most important to them. The contestants then returned to a room behind the stage and changed into another outfit, this time elaborate native attire made with various furs.
Shortly after, judges deliberated and announced Lewis as the winner. The two 18 year olds have plans to go to college this fall. Gray plans to major in elementary education at Montana State University so she can return to her community as a math teacher. Lewis plans to pursue a nursing degree at Alaska Pacific University.
