The Calgary Stampede has chosen their newest ambassador of the Elbow River Camp, and for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, with the crowning of Pacey Strangling Wolf on Nov. 17.

Strangling Wolf, who works as a Indigenous liaison at the Strathmore High School, wowed judges in the First Nations Princess contest with her Jingle Dress dancing and eloquent speeches on her goals to increase the visibility of Indigenous women.

She was crowned by outgoing First Nations Princess Margaret Holloway during a ceremony at the BMO Centre on Sunday.

“I’m a girl’s girl, a woman’s woman. I would love to empower women, especially myself. I would like to feel empowered in myself, and I would like to do the same for others as well,” said Strangling Wolf.

“The thing I most look forward to the most, I would say is the Calgary Stampede itself. I heard it’s not just 10 days, it’s more like 14 days, or even longer than that. Even the lead up to that is something I’m looking forward to—to see all my Indigenous sisters and brothers join me on the grandstand, that is something I can’t wait to enjoy.”

One of her goals for 2025, said Strangling Wolf, was to work towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

“I hope that we can build reconciliation together. It’s something that I’ve been striving for for over 10 years now. I was a part of a [play] called New Blood, and it’s a story about Chief Vincent Yellow Old Woman and his story, and you build reconciliation,” she said.

That play told the story of Yellow Old Woman’s life, going from being a residential school survivor to regaining control over his life, before becoming a Chief of the Siksika Nation.

“I hope that my message will be clear with the others, that I definitely want to build a stronger bridge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and to continue that growth,” said Strangling Wolf.

Representing the Calgary Stampede at hundreds of events in 2025

As part of that reconciliation, she said that she was looking forward to working with incoming 2025 Calgary Stampede Princess Breanna Correia.

“I hope that me and Breanna can share our stories together,” Strangling Wolf said.

“I hope that Breanna and I will have an amazing time together. I hope that she will also be able to come to powwows with me, and I will be able to show her what my culture is like and show her that it’s not just powwows, there’s also ceremonies, too. She’s an open-minded woman, and I’m so proud that I’m have the honour to be beside her this year.”

Brian Rusted, Chair of the Calgary Stampede’s First Nations Events Committee, said that the annual First Nations Princess contest was tremendously important for the Stampede.

“It’s a way of demonstrating the partnership that the Stampede has with all of the Treaty Seven Nations. As I think you heard today, the kind of relationship that is built between the stampede Princess and the First Nations princess is a way of demonstrating reconciliation,” Rusted said.

And that relationship, said Strangling Wolf, was one that has been recognized as going back to 1912 with the first teepee holders being invited to camp at the Stampede by Guy Weadick— what was against Canadian law at that time.

“We lived in the pass system when we weren’t allowed to leave our reservations. We weren’t allowed to participate in ceremonies. But here was Guy saying, ‘Hey, come here, come off,'” she said.

“‘I will fight the government for you, just so that you guys can be here and be able to do your thing and to show others what you are capable of doing.’ And I’m glad to be a part of that.”

Strangling Wolf will officially step into her reign as First Nations Princess on January 1, 2025.

For more details on the royalty programs at the Calgary Stampede, see corporate.calgarystampede.com/about-us/in-the-community/stampede-royalty.