Miss He Sapa Win Shares Her Vision
On Saturday, October 8, 2016 at the Black Hills Powwow in Rapid City, South Dakota, Santana Young Man was crowned the new Miss Black Hills. It is the 30th Miss He Sapa Win to be crowned at the Black Hills Powwow.
The daughter of Davidica Little Spotted Horse and Wendell “Jay” Young Man Afraid of His Horses, Jr., Santana is currently a college student at Oglala Lakota College on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. With goals to pursue a law degree in American Indian Tribal Law, she is currently considering getting her bachelor’s of arts degree in Lakota Studies and will be graduating in the Spring of 2017.
Young Man, of Oglala, SD, was named the 30th Miss He Sapa through a competitive process among five other contestants. When announced the winner, Santana shared: “I am completely honored and excited to be this year’s Miss He Sapa Win.”
“I prepared for a long time for this title and being chosen among the other very worthy contestants had me in tears,” said Santana Young Man.
It is her goal as Miss He Sapa Win to share her title with as many communities as possible, to share her culture and grow from other cultures as well. Looking well into the future, her goals are first to finish college and to give back to her people and community.
“I want to make and inspire the youth and women of my age to pursue their own dreams,” continued Young Man. “I hope to give back in the area of law. I want to be the one they can trust and believe in to be there for them as much as I could.”
Santana’s mother Davidica shared, “I’m humbled because she’s been recognized for all the hard work she does and her her great character and morals.”
“I hope to accomplish as much as I can,” continued Young Man. “And not just by going to powwows, but speaking at schools, cultural events and wherever else I am welcomed.”
“She has worked so hard to herself to a point that she could be a great role model for young women,” continued Davidica. “She made a conscious decision a few years ago to bring herself to a point where all of her dreams would come true.
In her accomplishment Santana expressed she would like to thank everyone who has supported her including her co-workers at the college center in Oglala, to her family for being her biggest supporters and her best friend Karl for driving her to all of her events and encouraging her.
Like many of us, she shared, “without all of this support, I wouldn’t have been able to take this step because I’ve always been shy.”
You can follow Miss He Sapa Win Santana Young Man on facebook.com/santanacelebratelife
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Darren Thompson (Ojibwe/Tohono O’odham) is a Native American flute player and writer from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Reservation in Northern Wisconsin. He is one of Crazy Horse Memorial's main performers and the opening act of Brulé's summer concert series in the Black Hills. He contributes to Native Peoples Magazine, Native News Online and Powwows.com. For more information please visit www.darrenthompson.net
