LUMBERTON — The tribe has turned, so to speak, with the coronation of five new Lumbee ambassadors.
Pageants for Miss Lumbee, Teen Miss Lumbee, Junior Miss Lumbee, Little Miss Lumbee and Senior Miss Lumbee were held during the tribe’s 47th annual homecoming celebration, which ran from June 27 to July Fourth.
In events sponsored by the Lumbee Regional Development Association, Alexis Raeana Jones was crowned Miss Lumbee; Kaitlynn Maria Deal was crowned Teen Miss Lumbee; Kyla Jarrett was crowned Junior Miss Lumbee; and Chloe Locklear was crowned Little Miss Lumbee.
To participate in the pageants, the young women were required to pen essays and pay registration fees ranging from $150 to $200. Competition categories included Talent, Regalia and Evening Gown.
“We sold out at both events this year, and that’s always a good sign that people are enjoying the pageants,” said James Hardin, executive director of the Lumbee Regional Development Association.
The pageants were held at the Givens Performing Arts Center on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The Little and Junior Miss Lumbee pageants took place July 1. The Teen and Miss Lumbee pageants were held July 3.
“The talent was amazing,” Hardin said. “This was one of the premiere years for talent, particularly in the Little and Junior pageants. The judges had a tremendous job in selecting the winners this year, as they always do.”
Outgoing ambassadors were Calista Deal, Junior Miss Lumbee; Ariel Michelle, Little Miss Lumbee; Madison Davenport, Teen Miss Lumbee; and Candice Noel Locklear, Miss Lumbee.
“We have walked together, laughed together, sang, danced and worked hard together because we were unified, on one accord, as the Lumbee ambassadors,” Candice Locklear said in a farewell letter published before homecoming. “As Miss Lumbee, I was tasked with the duty of serving and representing the Lumbee people and I aimed to do it with respect and unity.”
In a separate pageant sponsored by the tribe, Angelita Hunt was crowned Senior Miss Lumbee. The Fairmont resident competed against four women, ages 55 and older, in categories such as talent, regalia and interview.
The Senior Miss Lumbee Pageant was held June 29 at the A.D. Lewis Auditorium on the campus of Robeson Community College. Other contestants included Mona Swett Canady, Betty Oxendine, Joan Blackwell and Betty Locklear.
“It was probably one of the best pageants we’ve had,” said Bobbi Jo Oxendine, director of Elder Services for the Lumbee Tribe. “The competition was extremely competitive this year. Overall, it ended up being a great pageant and all of the ladies showed great sportsmanship. Everyone was very pleased with the outcome.”
All of the pageant winners will represent the tribe during local events and state functions.
A coronation ceremony was held for the newly elected ambassadors during an Independence Day powwow hosted by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. The ceremony was held at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
For information, visit lumbeehomecoming.com
