![junior miss pageant 2002 series junior miss pageant 2002 series](http://missgreenbelt.com/Images/2004LMCourt.jpg)
"And I think that's because when they look in the magazines on newsstands, they aren't the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauties. When I see this it just breaks my heart because these are natural beauties and they should be proud of what they look like," she admits. "I go around the reservation seeing these most beautiful Indian girls, and they're not confident. Although Miss Short Bull hasn't lived on the Pine Ridge Reservation since she was six, this down-to-earth beauty queen says she's well aware of the problems faced by her people especially Lakota Sioux women. Her father, Tom Shortbull, is a former state senator and current president of Oglala Lakota College. Vanessa Short Bull also comes from a line of strong men, counting the legendary Lakota leaders Red Cloud and Short Bull among her ancestors. So I look to them, and being outspoken and speaking for your people, I think they're the true feminists."
![junior miss pageant 2002 series junior miss pageant 2002 series](https://www.maconcountyfair.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/jrmiss-2011-morgan-thatcher.jpg)
" Because most people would assume that, hey, why in, what was that 1920 something - that, I mean, she had a job, she was supporting her family and she had a car, and most people wouldn't assume that a woman would do that. My grandmother Zona was actually the first person on the reservation to have a car.and that's amazing," she explain. "I look at my grandmothers and just the way they led their lives. She attributes her determination to win as well as her political outspokenness to her grandmothers. But it took several tries before she became Miss South Dakota. Ten years of ballet classes and a stint at New York City's Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre paid off for Miss Short Bull, she won the talent category for Junior Miss South Dakota. She says her government studies teacher suggested that she try out for the Junior Miss South Dakota pageant because of her beauty, her poise, her sense of humor and her talent. Vanessa Short Bull began her road to the Miss America Pageant as a senior in high school. What makes Miss Short Bull's presence on that stage significant is that she's the first Native American to hold the title of Miss South Dakota, a western state with a reputation particularly among Native people for being discriminatory toward Indians. There have been other American Indian women who've competed in the pageant and one, Norma Smallwood, a Cherokee from Oklahoma, became Miss America in 1926. It's not because Vanessa Short Bull is Native American. take the stage for the Miss America Pageant Saturday, September 21, one will be breaking a barrier. Host families were Ship and Jan Alexander, Terry and Connie Ballinger, Beverly Crawford, Mike and Becky Fingerle, Danny and Sharon Forgey, Jim and Pam Gilbertson, David and Nancy Graves, June Hatcher, Pat and Donna Williams, Sid and Colette Huntley, Tom and Sandy Jenkins, John and Deborah Johnson, Rob and Beverly Kibble, Todd and Lisa Meades, Dan and Lisa Odom, Jay and Judy Clark, Gary and Liz Wilkerson and David and Lisa Willard.When 51 young women from across the U.S. She is also on the state board along with Darlene Brown, Judy Clark, Lee Hope, Lisa Meades, Craig Pletcher, Jenny Pletcher, Traci Dunn-Fant, Angela McBrayer, Lisa Rhea, Larry Rhodes and Janice Freeman. Laurel Boles was in charge of choreography. But she suffered an injury during the week, and a tape was shown of her performance in Mobile.Ī number of other previous Tennessee Junior Miss title holders took part in the program, including Kim Payne Greenwood, wife of entertainer Lee Greenwood. Michelle Fortner of Hendersonville, who won the overall talent competition at America's Junior Miss, was supposed to tap dance on the Tivoli stage. Mary Catherine Musick was the overall talent winner.ĭebra Guess of Red Bank was a preliminary scholastic winner. Lori Brakins won fitness and poise competitions.īethany Schneider was the overall fitness winner, and Julie Tilson of Cleveland was the overall poise winner.
![junior miss pageant 2002 series junior miss pageant 2002 series](http://www.missgreenbelt.com/Images/2015LMContestants.jpg)
She was the overall scholastic award winner and won one of the talent competitions. Her family includes Connie and Tim Regal and Tom and Paige Gardenhire. Katrina Owens, anchor for Channel 4 in Columbus, Ohio, was the emcee.ĭeanna Gardenhire plans to attend Duke University and study medicine.
![junior miss pageant 2002 series junior miss pageant 2002 series](https://www.pageantupdate.info/uploads/5/3/4/4/53444789/117627593-709216046325563-877298352590105136-n.jpg)
She will represent Tennessee at Mobile, Ala., in the nationally televised America's Junior Miss.Ĭontestants received $7,000 in scholarship money in the state pageant that is headed by Mike and Lynn Steele of East Ridge.