2022 Happy Canyon princesses are named
By Terry Murry on Sunday, December 12th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PENDLETON – The Happy Canyon Board of Directors has named Samantha Craig-Allen and Marley Johnson as the 2022 Happy Canyon princesses. They serve as ambassadors for the Happy Canyon Night Show, Oregon’s official outdoor night pageant that takes place Wednesday through Saturday of Round-Up week.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have these two talented local young women represent Happy Canyon this next year,” Happy Canyon President Tanner Hawkins said. Their family roots run deep in local tribal history and in Happy Canyon, so we’re honored to have them serve as our representatives in 2022.”
Craig-Allen, 19, is the daughter of Sandra Craig of Pendleton and Sheldon Allen of Idaho. She is a 2020 graduate of Pendleton High School.
She is of Umatilla, Cayuse, and Nez Perce descent and an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Her maternal great-great grandfather was Dick Johnson who was with the Nez Perce band during the War of 1877. She is also a descendant of Fishhawk, who was a Cayuse warrior. She applied to become a princess because of her late grandfather, Fermore Craig Sr., who was a part of Happy Canyon for more than 75 years,
Craig-Allen plans to enroll at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton where she plans to improve her skills in writing, dance, and acting. She is currently employed at McDonald’s at Arrowhead Travel Plaza.
“What I am excited about being a Happy Canyon princess is being able to get in touch with my culture even more and making my family proud for representing our Tribe, Happy Canyon, and most of all my families,” she said.
Johnson, 20, is the daughter of Micah Johnson and Julie Rowell of Portland. She is of Nez Perce, Cayuse, and Walla Walla descent. She has attended the Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon nearly all of her life and began competing in Junior American Indian pageants at the age of 3. She has participated in the Happy Canyon Night Show several times.
As a princess, she is continuing a family tradition most recently passed down by her aunt Drew Johnson Rivera, who was a princess in 2000. She is a descendant of Chief Joseph’s sister, Sarah. Her grandfather, William Johnson, was the first tribal member to pass the Oregon State Bar and has been chief judge of the Umatilla Tribal Court for more than 30 years.
Johnson is a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Portland and is a sophomore at Mt. Hood Community College where she plays basketball and softball. She plans to transfer to a four-year college and earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications while she continues her athletic endeavors. “Being selected as a Happy Canyon princess means so much to me,” she said. “It allows me to act as a role model for youth and the honor to represent Oregon Natives, specifically my indigenous urban community.”
