A young woman from Montana is stepping onto the pageant stage with a purpose that reaches far beyond the crown, bringing culture, representation, and advocacy with her.
Kylie LaFountain, a member of the Little Shell Tribe and the current Miss Great Falls, is preparing to compete in the Miss Montana Pageant later this month. Her journey into pageantry is rooted in her passion for representing her community and uplifting Indigenous voices.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
LaFountain previously served as Little Shell Princess from 2023 to 2024, an experience she says inspired her to continue on a larger platform.
“When I was a little shell princess, I really enjoyed my time representing my people, my community, my family, my friends,” she said. “And so I… I wanted to be able to do that again.”
Now, as a Miss Montana contender, she sees an even greater opportunity to advocate for issues impacting Native communities.
“It gives me more of a platform to… advocate for indigenous matters, like indigenous education, MMIP, every child matters,” LaFountain said.
Her goal is not only to raise awareness, but also to increase representation in a space where she believes it is lacking.
“I don't feel like there's enough native representation, especially within the pageantry industry,” she said. “So it definitely would be a game changer.”
As part of the competition, LaFountain will perform a traditional fancy dance for the talent portion—an expression of her culture that she says is central to who she is.
“I’ve like to incorporate my culture and my heritage into because it’s a big part of who I am,” she said.
Beyond the competition, LaFountain hopes her journey will inspire younger generations to pursue their own goals.
“I just… I wanted to be able to be someone that kids could look up to and see doing these things and show them that there’s opportunities out there,” she said. “It doesn't matter where you come from or what you have, you can always make something happen.”
The Miss Montana Pageant will be on Saturday, May 30, at The Mother Lode Theatre in Butte. For LaFountain, the event represents more than a chance to win a title, it’s an opportunity to celebrate her heritage and show that tradition and ambition can go hand in hand.
Tickets for the event can be found here.
