In summer 2017 Montana: The Magazine of Western History published “All American Indian Days and the Miss Indian America Pageant.” The article is available for download by clicking the link or images above, by special permission of the Montana Historical Society. If you download the article, please consider subscribing to Montana: The Magazine of Western History or making a donation to the Montana Historical Society to recognize the work of their editorial staff.
The article was chosen for a 2018 Western Heritage “Wrangler” Award for best magazine article by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The award recognizes individuals “who made extraordinary contributions to shaping the American West’s rich heritage.” There are 16 other recipients for 2018, in the literary, film and television, or music fields.
In addition, the Western Writers of America also chose the article as a Spur Award finalist in the short nonfiction category, awarded at the 2018 WWA Conference in Billings, Montana June 20-22.
“This article and award really is a tribute to the Sheridan volunteers and American Indians who put on the Miss Indian America pageant from 1953-1984, and to the local archivists who preserved records of the event,” Gregory Nickerson says. “The expert staff at Montana Historical Society were extremely supportive in bringing this article to fruition, especially editor Molly Holz, Randall Williams, photo editor Laura Ferguson, and Tammy Ryan.”
The article would not have been possible without the Miss Indian America winners and volunteers who contributed interviews, and former Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library Wyoming Room archivists Judy Slack and Michael Dykhorst who led the efforts for the 2013 and 2015 Miss Indian America Reunions.
NOTE: The content of the article, including all text and images, is under copyright, and can only be used for fair use/educational purposes. The photos in the article remain under copyright protection, and may not be republished (i.e. on the internet/social media or in video or print) without permission. Those seeking permission to use the photos should contact the archives listed in each photo caption.
For hard copies, you can order the magazine by visiting the Montana Historical Society website:
http://mhs.mt.gov/pubs/magazine/Magazine-Issue-List
For 2018, the article is available in limited quantities at selected locations in Sheridan County, Wyoming:
Gregory Nickerson | Writer, Filmmaker, Historian. 