UNITY princess reflects as her reign comes to an end

As UNITY princess Amber Clark has been an ambassador for PUSD, Navajo youths.

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For over a year Amber Clark has reigned as the Page High School Unity Princess (2017-18) during her sophomore and part of her junior year. On Nov. 28 she will be giving up her title to the next Princess and Ambassador.


Her reign involved duties to the community and required her to constantly be in the spotlight, which she proudly accepted and made the most of, to represent her title. The Unity Club and Heritage Committee would help her plan the schedule so she could give her time to the community and represent Page High School and the Native American community.
Clark said she enjoyed attending the city, reservation, and community events. Clark always tried to be friendly to the children who looked up to her.  After all, it wasn’t everyday a child had the opportunity to meet a real princess.


“I am a little bit sad [to be stepping down] but I am excited to meet the upcoming princess,” Clark said.


Clark said her year as the UNITY princess has given her some important experience, and she hopes to pass some of that on to the incoming princess.


“I think she should be somebody who is kind and open to new ideas,” said Clark. “She should be somebody who has to her own tempo and wants to improve her legacy.”
She added that having the support of the Unity Club is a key part of planning a new reign.


As she plans her farewell speech, and how she might best help the new princess and ambassador, she remembers the fond memories of her favorite events.


“The most significant ones to me is our Unity pow-wow that we hold here [in Page] every year, both homecomings that I’ve been in, and the Cameron Celebration.”
The Unity pow-wow is one of the largest spring events in Page and it attracts hundreds of tourists.


Clark said she wanted to see one more project through, even after her reign is over, which is fundraiser to repair her crown, which received some damage during her reign.
The UNITY club has designed a new one and it  will cost $1,200, which is mostly the cost of materials.


“I was supposed to hold fundraisers this summer but I was caught up in sports and personal stuff,” she said. “But it is possible to retire the crown. It would go into the [memory] case in the gym or in the school.”


As she prepares to say a grateful farewell she tells the Chronicle she is having mixed emotions.


“I’m kind of sad, but I‘m also excited because I’ve had this title for more than a year,” she said. “Just giving it up is different. It’s different when you’re in the [princess] shoes and  the spotlight is on you. Then, when you give up [the crown] it isn’t on you anymore and that’s kind of different too.”


But Clark knows even though she will not be the reigning UNITY princess she will still be a role model for younger fans who have met her along the way.


“I just wanted to say ‘Thank you for supporting me every step of the way,’ she said. `To my grandparents and uncles for being patient with my language and for helping with our speeches or presentations in [proper Navajo]. To my mom for being there every step of the way, who is also our advisor, to my sister and brother who are always supporting me and taking me [places], and my dad who always taught them to be kind and humble.”


This year the Unity Club has elected to include the title role of Ambassador to suit the male role rather than the title of Prince.


“We wanted to introduce the Ambassador role so the males can participate also,” said Clark.


The candidates for the upcoming pageant will be announced next week on the Page High School’s Unity Club Facebook page. The PHS Unity Princess and Ambassador pageant will be November 28 at the Cultural Arts Building starting at 6:30 pm.


Amber Clark’s moccasins will be hard to fill.