Justiss Firemoon In Miss Mont. Pageant

Will she win? The Hi-Line’s candidate for Miss Montana 2013, Justiss Firemoon of Poplar, finds out Saturday night.

Justiss, 18, and 12 other candidates are competing to succeed last year’s winner, Alexis Wineman of Cut Bank, who was chosen “America’s Choice” in the Miss America Pageant and became well known for her success as someone with autism.

Justiss – whose father, Thomas, owns the Nakoda Trails Stop store in Frazer – plans to sing in the talent competition during this year’s Montana pageant at Glendive’s Dawson County High School. As for her platform, she will focus on suicide prevention because it so troubles Native American reservations.

“I love where I come from and would be honored to compete in the Miss Montana Pageant to represent our (Fort Peck) reservation in a positive light and advance to the Miss America Pageant,” she says on Nakoda Trails Stop’s Facebook page.

The Poplar High graduate’s application was accepted for her to participate in the pageant, her first. A $5,000 scholarship and a place in the Miss America Pageant goes to the winner.

Pageant week began Monday, when the contestants checked in.