Dixey & Martin vie for Miss Shoshone-Bannock Queen title
Miss Shoshone-Bannock Queen contestants, from left: Kaycee Dixey and Sophia Martin.
FORT HALL — Two contestants are vying for the prestigious title of Miss Shoshone-Bannock 2022-2023 Kaycee Jo Dixey and Sophia Martin.
Kaycee Jo Dixey
Kaycee Jo Dixey, 24, is a member of the Gibson district. She is the daughter of Lee Ann Dixey and granddaughter of Clyde and Louise Dixey.
Her Indian name is Yugutsi Nummi, which means cry baby little sister.
If selected as Miss Shoshone-Bannock her platform will be “Educating tribal youth.”
The experience which has attributed to her growth is her commitment to continuing her education and going to college.
During her senior year of high school in 2016 she was accepted into the INSPIRE Pre-College Program with nine other individuals out of 314 applicants.
Her experience in Washington D.C. attributed to her growth because she gained knowledge of how the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and other federally recognized tribes conduct business on a federal level.
“My mentality matured during my experience. I gained a professional network and learned how to hold myself professionally while having meaningful conversations with prestigious Federal Employees,” she said.
“I learned why it is important to understand Treaties as a Tribal Member. I realized from this experience, that I wanted to pursue an education in Business and continue on into Law School. This experience helped me discover what I wanted to do in life. It showed me how important it is to know Tribal History and Tribal Governance. How our Tribe operates is very important because it contributes to the existence of our Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868. In just three weeks, I really grew as an individual. I expanded my network professionally and personally. The nine other individuals are now my lifetime friends and I learned a lot from each of them. All 10 of us were from different federally recognized tribes and different states. I was the only individual from Idaho and from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. I represented our Tribe without knowing it at the time. Looking back, I now realize that I represented my Tribe while meeting Congress men, Congress women and Federal employees. Till this day, I apply the knowledge I gained from this experience in my personal, professional and educational careers. I believe this experience shaped me into the educated tribal member I am today.”
A positive experience she had from the pandemic was spending more time with family, especially getting to bear witness to her great-grandmother celebrating her 91st birthday.
Her message to youth is, “It does not matter where or who you come from, as long as you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve anything in life.” She encourages them to stay positive and focus on their personal goals. Stay grounded and remember where they came from. She wants them to keep learning their cultural ways and the Shoshone-Bannock languages.
In 2020 Kaycee graduated from Idaho State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management. She was an active student in high school serving on the student council and clubs, as well as Miss Indian Blackfoot High School. She now works in the Management Department at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino. She also is accustomed to life on the ranch pitching in to help where she can.
Her involvement in the community was being a tutor, she takes part in warm dances, warbonnet dance and Sundances. She attends powwows locally and throughout Indian Country. She’s a member of the Good Shepherd Mission Episcopalian Church. As a Gibson resident she stays involved in the community.
She recently helped at the Return of the Boise Valley People Gathering and did traditional salmon filleting and cooking.
As a tribal member she stays involved attending annual meetings and called meetings and plans to exercise her voting rights.
Her hobbies include beading, singing traditional songs, ranching, reading/research and riding horses.
Her educational goal is pursuing her Juris Doctorate degree and go to law school to study Corporate Law with the intention of being a lawyer. She is currently studying for the LSAT.
Kaycee is a traditional dancer. Her outfit was made by her grandmother, Louise Edmo Dixey. Her beaded leggings were made by the late Lynn Stone. The horse and rose designs she wears represent her ranch lifestyle and her Shoshone blood.
She will prepare fire bread and chokecherry pudding for her Traditional Dish. The recipes were passed down to her from her grandmothers.
She will showcase Circle Dance singing for her Traditional Talent. She learned songs from Hovia Edwards, the late Keith Andren, Bryan Hudson and her grandfather.
Sophia Martin
Sophia Martin is 19-years-old and the daughter of Lebyron and Amanda Martin. She resides in the Fort Hall District. Her Indian name is Standing with Horse.
Her platform as Miss Shoshone-Bannock will be fighting against alcoholism within the community.
Attending the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy helped her in her growth because she wanted to graduate early and focus on herself to learn independence and entering adulthood.
“It also snapped me into reality about how the world is, but it also taught me how to have fun when needed and not to take life for granted as I was away for six months,” she said.
During the pandemic she was able to spend more time with her family.
Her message for youth is, “Don’t take life for granted. There are way more opportunities in life and out of this town. You are smarter then you think, go get an education. Make your family happy. Don’t be worried about home, home is always going to be here, nothing will change, it’ll all be the same when you get back.”
Sophia’s involvement in the community included volunteering for cleanup day as well as going with Sho-Ban for the dance exhibition for Earth Day 2022, and she will be volunteering again in September.
Her hobbies include camping, fishing, biking, swimming, tubing, paddle boarding, sewing, dancing, messing around with horses, hand gaming and hanging out with family.
Her five-year educational goal is to go to college for welding and cosmetology for a fall back plan.
Sophia’s style of dance is jingle. One of her jingle dresses was made by Taylor Haskett and another was bought by her parents. She bought herself one as she got older.
Sophia will make a choke cherry smoothie for her Traditional Dish. She learned the recipe from her parents.
Her Traditonal Talent will be scraping a hide.
Miss Shoshone-Bannock is an ambassador for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and must represent whenever called upon to do so at events. Miss Shoshone-Bannock must remain alcohol and drug free and be a positive role model. She is also asked to participate in the Miss Indian World pageant in April. She will be required to take at least 20 hours of Shoshone or Bannock language classes.
The Miss Shoshone-Bannock pageant events will all be at the Festival Arbor and begin on Wednesday, August 10 at 6 p.m. with the Traditional Talent. The Traditional Dish Presentation is on Thursday, August 11 at 5 p.m. The Dance Competition is on Friday, August 12 at 5 p.m. The crowning of Miss Shoshone-Bannock will take place after Grand Entry on Friday.
