In 2023, Kirstie Suerte Mattos was crowned Mris. South Dakota USA AMbassador where she uses her platform to bring awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous (MMIWP) People. As an ambassador, Kirstie believes her mission is to bring awareness and action to the MMIWP by helping the youth feel confident in themselves and learn to stand together. She teaches her students, “It really doesn’t matter where you come from, only where you want to go”, while she continues to work diligently to connect tribes from across Turtle Island. A mother of two amazing boys, Anthony and Astraios Tanio, and a houseparent who mentors 11 amazing teenage girls in her home. Ahe strives to teach her girls how to attain self-sufficiency and independence. She left her career as an engineer in Texas and moved to South Dakota to pursue a more balanced life for her family in a beautiful indigenous at St. Joseph’s Indian school. Last year she dived into the Native fashion industry as a model, model-coach, and designer. She soon developed her own clothing line called Taino Suerte (The Nobel Men of Good Luck) and showed the importance of sharing one’s culture. Her clothing line called AstroSanti named after her son brings awareness to MMIW/MMIR with all the proceeds going to St. Joseph’s Indian School/ Kirstie is also a musical recording artist working with artists such as Lil Mike & Funny Bone, Wicked, Leta Wisespirit in the Native COmmunity. She uses her music to give the youth positive outlook on life to make their own music for healing and enjoyment.
