Miss Southern Ute – Malenia Carel
Maykh’ Hello
My name is Maleina Carel and I’m currently the Miss Southern Ute for 2024-2025. I’m 17 years old and I’m currently in the 11th grade. My bands are Mouche-Capote and Weenuche. My maternal grandparents are Hardy Joy Sr. and the late Anna Weaver egap. My great grandparents on my paternal grandparent’s side are James Price Sr. and Linda Lopez of Towaoc, Colorado. My paternal grandparents are the late Vernest and Marlene Price Carel egap. My parents are Marie Joy Carel, and my father is Vern Carel. I also have an older sister Rhianna Carel.
This year I have the honor to serve on The Sunshine Cloud Smith Youth Advisory Council.
I would like to share my quarterly report of the events that I have attended for the months of December, January and February.
December – I attended our Tribal Christmas dinner, and the royalty were requested to do the Lord’s Prayer in sign language and later that day I traveled to Dulce, NM to their Department of Youth Christmas pow wow. I got to watch and welcome their newly crowned Department of Youth Pow wow princess Mia Maestes, I attended the End of Council Term Celebration for Vice Chairman Lorelei Cloud and Council member Vanessa Torres, on December 16, I attended the Inauguration Ceremony for James M. Olguin and Linda K. Baker, I helped Tribal Information Services department with filling candy bags for the Tribal Christmas program and my final requested event was from the Tribal Information Services department to judge the holiday department Christmas decorated doors, Christmas trees and office cubicles. This was a fun event and I enjoyed seeing all the Christmas festive decorations and the creativity of these different departments. I also attended the Ugly sweater contest that same day.
January – I traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico and attended “Dancing for Strength & Prosperity” NYE Gourd dance & Social Powwow Celebration on December 31st, I attended the Ft. Lewis College VS Navajo Tech women and men’s games that were held at the Sun Ute Community Center here in Ignacio for the Native American Heritage NCAA games, Sip Chat and Chew for the month of January at the Multipurpose facility, I traveled to White Mesa, Utah for their Winter Round Dance, I attended the swearing in of a Sunshine Cloud Smith Youth Advisory Council for Zuriah Baker and my last requested event was for the Multi-purpose Facility for The Honor our Youth Pow wow.
That was a fun pow wow and I enjoyed watching the youth dance and
was excited to see some of the youth lead and learn the ways to carry the flags during the grand entry with the help from our Southern Ute Veterans Association members.
February – My last month of events for this quarterly report. I traveled and attended the sweetheart Gourd dance and Social pow wow that was held by the Sleeping Ute Diabetes Program, Ute Mountain Ute Royalty, Ute Mountain Ute Eider’s Committee and SWCAHEC. It was a fun pow wow and I enjoyed spending the evening with our sister tribe. Myself and the Jr. Miss Southern Ute were requested to tell a story at the Museum in honor of Ute storytelling, I participated and attended the Muti-Purpose facility Sweetheart Community pow wow and lastly, I traveled and attended the Fort Duchesne Round dance in Ft. Duchesne, Utah. This was a two-day event it was hosted by Brooke and Emma Powaukee Kanip. Emma is currently the U.B.I.C Native American Queen. I really enjoyed myself they were very welcoming and two days of round dancing was so fun. Just being around their community and spending time with the sister tribe is what I love they are all so nice and their hospitality goes over and beyond. It was a blessing to be there and I was very honored to attend this event.
This concludes my quarterly report of my travels and participation during these three months. As always, I enjoy traveling and I do try to attend new events. I love meeting new people and learning new things as I go. Thank you for your time and I hope you all have enjoyed my report.
Tog’oiak’
Maleina J. Carel
Miss Southern Ute
2024-2025