When Belma Truchot Colter became the first Miss Shoshone-Bannock in 1964, it wouldn’t be her last first. She would go on to become the first Native American student at Idaho State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Her cousin, Lorraine Edmo Cordova, followed her as the second Miss Shoshone-Bannock in 1966, and she became the first Native American student to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Montana in Missoula.

Winning Miss Shoshone-Bannock titles opened up doors and boosted their confidence, according to both women.

“It changed my life,” Colter said. “People recognize you as Miss Shoshone-Bannock no matter what.”

“Winning opened doors and gave me more self-confidence,” Cordova said. “It opened up a lot of opportunities.”

Both women were back in the spotlight of center stage Wednesday as all past Miss Shoshone-Bannocks were

recognized as part of the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival. Current title holder, Natasha Watson, will surrender the position to the new Miss Shoshone-Bannock for 2013-14 Friday during the crowning slated for 6 p.m.

Naming a new Miss Shoshone-Bannock is just part of the Fort Hall Pow-wow that began Tuesday with a talent show and will continue until Sunday afternoon when the Grand Entry and Pow-wow takes place at 1 p.m.

For Colter and Cordova, it doesn't seem like nearly a half a century has passed.

Colter was attending the St. Alphonsus School of Nursing in Boise when her parents suggested she seek the first title for the tribes. She accepted the challenge and won, but it wasn't the first challenge she had faced.

Racial prejudice punctuated the lives of both young women as they progressed through the public school system in Blackfoot. Life at Blackfoot High School was not easy for either woman.

“It was so hard to get off the reservation and get an education because of the prejudice factor,” Colter said.

Both women lived with their families in the Ross Fork area of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and just attending school was a time commitment. They headed to school each weekday at 6:30 a.m. and didn't come home until 6 p.m.

“Then we had chores to do,” Cordova said.

The more difficult path shaped both women.

“It made us good people,” Colter explained. “It made us tougher.”

Colter began working as a nurse's aide at the old St. Anthony Hospital in Pocatello when she was just 17. After graduation from ISU with her B.A. in nursing, Colter went on to work in hospitals in Oregon before returning to Pocatello to work at Bannock Hospital and then Indian Health Services where she spent 25 years before retiring.

Cordova left the reservation to attend the University of Montana, where she earned a double major in journalism and political science. She also competed in the Miss Indian America contest in Sheridan, Wyo., during the summer of 1966, which expanded her involvement with Native Americans from around the nation. It would come in handy.

Cordova lives in Washington. Where she works for the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women. That office provides funding and supervises grants to help the victims of domestic violence by providing money for shelters and education programs.

Continuing an education was a high priority for the families of both women and they have adopted the same philosophy for their own children and grandchildren. And they both said they see great value in continuing to share tradition and native culture with Native Americans of all ages.

This marriage of education and culture is something all Miss Shoshone-Bannock winners seem to embrace — even more recent winners.

Randy'L Teton, who won the title in 2002-03, became the model for the Sacajawea dollar coins. She is currently the public information specialist for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes.

Hovia Edwards, Miss Shoshone-Bannock 2007-08, is a Native American flute player and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

The winner in 2008-09, Leela Abrahamson, is a champion native dancer and was the first Native American model to appear in Teen Vogue magazine. She is a student at Haskell Indian Nations University.

But these successes all began in 1964 when the first of two cousins accepted the title of Miss Shoshone-Bannock.